A week after treatments ended and my skin is worse than ever! Wow - I can't believe how much worse it got AFTER the end. Crispy about describes it best! Yep, like they said, leathery feel, you get the crust like a road rash, itchy, painful, skin peeling in spots and the rawness of the flesh underneath is so sore that wearing a bra is painful. It will heal, though. Lots of cream and tender care, bra-less days, it all helps. Oh, and not working either. So nice to have a little bit of time off. I'm nearly bored, though, I'm so used to working every day, it's such a big part of my life that I almost don't know what to do. There's lots to do, no doubt. Housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping (when there's money!). The energy level doesn't allow for too much of that though. I'm still feeling a little tired. Of course the soreness keeps me awake a little at night so I'm not getting the sleep I need. No worries, though. It will all get better in time.

I did some grocery shopping already today, stopped at House of James and lo-and-behold - they have a wonderful used book section which, of course (!!!) I had to check out - bought 4 titles for under $22.00. I felt it was a bargain. So yes, I have lots of reading to do. If only I could relax enough to absorb what it is that I'm reading.

Rain is on its way for tonight and the next 2 days. Nice. At least the trees are a beautiful colour so there's something lovely to look at through the rain.

My latest self-portrait - I'm bored, what can I say?! This was Thanksgiving dinner. It was so warm I wore a t-shirt.

Last Treatment!

Today was my last radiation treatment - can't believe it's been four weeks already. So happy that it's over at last and yet I will really miss going there every day because everyone there has been so wonderful - they're just the nicest people and so professional and friendly and caring and gentle. I really appreciated each one of them! I bought some chocolates and wrote a card for them. I cried a little when I was done - silly really because you don't really want to go back there and have to repeat the whole process. The reason for being there isn't a fun one! This treatment now brings my #'s down to 15% possibility of cancer returning to my left breast within the next 10 years. So ... bring on the tamoxifen - 5 years of this? And menopause symptoms such as "mood swings" and "hot flashes"?! Yikes! But that will reduce the % of possibility of return in the same breast to about 7%. It's worth it.

So I have a bit of broken skin now which is being treated with antibiotic cream. I have this beautiful perfect rectangle of tanned/burned skin! Amazing.

So that's that! My follow up appt with the oncologist is Nov 20th.

So it's a new day! A new break! And a beautiful fall season, quite frankly. To end for the day - this "depressing" entry - a beautiful picture of today's sunset.