a brief respite

we're having a good moment.
my daughter has recovered from her latest radiation session and is happily attempting to GAIN some weight....i have to say, coming as i do from 'big boned' stock, that's not a concept i've ever been familiar with!

it was a long haul, this last treatment. the focus of the radiation was on a large tumour, enmeshed in the main airways and blood supply for the left lung. as such, the radiation beams had to pass through her oesophegus to get to their target.  on the way through, they damaged the sensitive lining tissue of the oesophegus, causing a severe burn.  the effects of radiation therapy usually peak sometime after treatments has finished.  in this case, the patient felt the effects about four days after the end of treatment.  she went from eating normally one day, to totally unable to swallow the next.  even water burned.  she went two days without eating or drinking, before attempting to drink milk, mixed with a protein powder, taken through a straw.  this worked well for a few days. with her only sustenance coming from about 500ml of milk and fake protein per day, she required rapid rehydration, so we tripped off to nimbin hospital (i love the nurses there! they are so sensitive, and caring) to request a drip.

that's how we managed for about nine days, though for the final couple i don't think she was even getting milk down.....she was also using a lot of pain relief medication.  she was pretty miserable, poor love.  obviously weak, and just really worn out from pain and lack of ease.

anyway, she predicted the day she would recover from that, and recover she did! it was amazing! from one day to the next it just changed, and she ate three meals that first day.  she was funny....she ate such small portions but then complained of feeling like an elephant, she was so full.....!

anyway, so she's now in recovery mode, though suffering now from dental pain from her wisdom teeth (oh, boy, is she getting a fast track on wisdom!) - there really is no rest!

but her spirit is so much lighter.

she starts uni next week in brisbane. this is for her the fulfilment of a life long dream, and you can't wipe the smile off her face! she is only taking one unit, as she will begin chemotherapy soon, in lismore.  obviously, this will mean A LOT of travelling between brisbane, lismore and home, but i'm really glad for her to be studying at UQ, which has always been her dream, and also glad that she will be having this treatment in lismore, as she'll be here with me and i can be here for her in the fullest possible way.

so, this really is a good pause for us.....we are all home here together, we all have much to look forward to, we are all feeling reasonably robust, the littlies are back at school, and i even worked a few days in the last week!

i'm sensing that we will need to recognise these times of ease as they come along, and take the opportunity for 'normal' life where and when we find it.  i am aware there is a long road ahead and we will all need a lot of stamina to stay on top of things....just thank the goddess for these little moments of goodness!