Holly's Notes and Condition

Kim, BC Support Group and 'The Boost'

Last week, I got ready for my treatment on Thursday and one of the young women from my BC Support Group came to mind, Kim - I hadn't seen her for awhile and wondered how she was doing. I would see her name on the sign-in sheet before me every day, but would miss her. Anyway, she was strongly on my mind, so I decided that I'd write her a little 'hello' note and attach it to a bag of Hershey's Kissables chocolate candies and pin it to her gown, so she'd have a little 'good cheer' the next day - as I know she is approaching the end of her first series of radiation treatments and its really picked up momentum on her.

Traffic was kind and I arrived early at the hospital. I had just gotten out of my car and was walking towards the radiation suite's back 'patient only' entrance, when who should be walking out - but Kim! Since I was early, we stood out by her car and talked - she's hurtin', but I was able to at least comfort her and hopefully reassure her, she's not alone. She finished her radiation therapy on the IMRT machine on Tuesday, however, she has another 7 doses with the IGRT - the 'green light' machine to 'Boost' her radiation treatment at the site of her cancer.

Kim hasn't been able to join us for the last couple of months at the BC support group meeting, but because we knew each other from there - we were able to hold our own 'mini' support group meeting right there, outside, in the parking lot. We laughed and we cried and laughed again and I took her picture, as she was pleased that her hair was 'happening' today - all spiked up with gel. She's getting ready to go to her 20th HS Reunion - she figures she'll get the award for 'most changed', as she went from a little 'surfer girl' to 'this' - she motioned to her breast and her head. I told her she might be surprised and that it was good that she was going to attend.

Brian looked out and saw me, out in the parking lot, talking to Kim and signaled for me to 'come in' to the suite - I gave her a hug and told her that we'd get together and do something 'fun', something that doesn't involve any of 'this', the hospital, or treatments, or BC. I walked into the suite and Brian teased, "I thought you were going to just stay out there forever!" I replied, "yeah, well I wasn't quite ready to come in and let you zap me this morning."

posted by Holly @ 7:46 AM