Week 6 Complete... But the Battle Still Continues

It's taken me a few days to complete this post.  I wish I could blame it all on the fatigue and being too tired to get my thoughts together, but that's not the reason.  At the end of Week 6, while I was celebrating the "end-of-treatment" milestone in my journey, someone I love dearly was told that their battle is coming to an end.  While my mind has processed this news over the last few days, my feelings have been all over the place and I am struggling a bit to stay focused on the positive.

Ringing the bell!!

My last brachytherapy treatment on Friday went just as planned with no issues.  Afterwards, I headed home for some much needed rest.  My Radiation Oncologist explained that the side effects of radiation should improve over time but that it can be a slow process.  So I will most likely still be taking medications to manage the side effects for a while.

Nap time

I spent most of this weekend just resting.  My fatigue has continued to build with this last week of treatment and has had a significant impact on my daily life right now.  It just takes so much energy for me to do the things that used to be so simple.  However, I know I just need to be patient and give it time.  My body will heal and I will gain back my stamina and strength.

So what's next, you ask?  I am currently working with my Oncologist on a few things.  The first will be scheduling my "end of treatment" imaging.  These tests will be done several weeks from now to determine that the treatment was effective in eliminating the cancer.  In addition, I am hoping that I can participate in a study at the James that is looking at a vaccine that may decrease cervical cancer recurrence.  More to come on that!!

Last Day of Treatment!!