Today was a rather busy day. It was a Bert walking day, and although it was raining earlier, it was dry while we walked, so we took a very long walk. He was a happy boy. I decided to stop by a friend’s house and she invited us in, and all the dogs (she had two) greeted each other very happily while we chatted. I hadn’t seen my friend for a while so we caught up a bit and Bert had a little rest and he also liked my friend’s female dog. Very sweet.

Then I went to my radiation this afternoon, and they told me that they wanted to narrow down the additional pictures for the booster treatments that will be coming in a week. I will be done with the regular treatments next Tuesday which is 28 treatments, and then the booster treatments are 5 additional intense treatments localized to the area where the tumors were. Fun, fun. My skin is already looking angry. They gave me a additional tattoo, so now I have 5 tattoos total. They needed it so the treatments will be positioned exactly in the same place every time. Very precise. They say that they look like freckles, but I think they look like blackheads or blemishes on me.

I am feeling like my body has changed so much with all this stuff. After my radiation hoopla, I had to go to the Lymphedema Therapy Center to have a lesson on how to put my night arm compression sleeve on. It came in the mail yesterday, so I was instructed to make an appointment to do that when it arrived. I am not happy with all this orthopedic garb! You think that you have surgery and chemo and radiation and that is that, but this stuff follows you for the rest of your life. Your life changes when you are diagnosed with cancer, and even after treatment there is always in the back of your mind that it could return. At least all this additional paraphernalia reminds you about. All these items have taken residence in my home and now I have attire in my drawers devoted to cancer related items.

After that appointment I went to my acupuncture treatment, which I think is really helping. It is amazing what it does. Who would have thought? Anyway, I am pleased with the results, and relief is certainly what I need right now.