LifeNow

Radiation therapy sessions are now pretty much routine and, to the credit of MSK, the sessions are generally very much as scheduled, even, several times, ahead of schedule because I typically arrive early.

Next week, when I do a status check with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Shasha, it will be a halfway mark. Though Dr. Shasha is excellent, I actually spend more time talking with his support nurses. His status checks are generally very brief, simply because one of his nurses has already gathered my answers for him to review before we talk. I have no issue with that procedure at all; in fact, I think it's a good way to make the best use of his and my time, as the nurses are all quite excellent themselves.

So far, I have no new symptoms and the ones I do have are relatively modest and manageable. Over the past several days, I've been experiencing digestive issues and mild fatigue – and have learned how to deal with those issues so that I don't also become depressed about the whole process.

It is always a pleasure to see a patient ring the bell that signals they've completed their therapy – to which all of us in the waiting room clap our hands vigorously and then wave good-bye as the patient departs, hopefully for the last time ever.

The only thing I have missed these past few days has been the ability to walk comfortably back home from MSK. What has kept me from doing that has not been therapy symptoms – it has simply been bad weather, mostly very hot and, when not hot, too much rain. I'm hoping I can get back to that post-therapy walk next week.

Meantime, life goes on relatively calmly.