I know it's been a long time since the last post, but I thought I'd get through radiation treatments first. And so I did... the last one of five was today. I suppose they went as expected; we won't know for a few weeks how effective they were. Meanwhile, I have felt tired, with a loss of appetite, some stomach pain, and a bit of depression. The doctor said these are normal side effects, so I'm just plodding along, dealing with them as best as I can. They are minor problems compared to the effects of chemotherapy, I use that yardstick to keep them in perspective. I should be over them completely in a week or two.

The radiation treatments were actually pretty interesting. You can read about it here; I had SBRT radiation. https://www.pancan.org/section-facing-pancreatic-cancer/learn-about-pan-cancer/treatment/radiation-therapy/

The next milestone is January 11th, when I have a CT scan to look at the tumors, and an appointment with the surgeon. I'm expecting surgery to be in February, and I'm certainly apprehensive about that. But I'm also eager to get to it, and move toward a complete recovery. Scary, but necessary.

My mental state is sort of mediocre; I'm tired of dealing with all this, in particular the continuing neuropathy from chemo. I haven't been reaching out to friends and family as much as I was, nor have I been walking as much - the numbness in my feet is a problem. I did manage to write comic strip #6 (http://rickstrailnotes.blogspot.com/), and I'm reading lots of crime novels, so I'm not a complete slug. And enjoying the amazing Washington hockey and football teams. I'm hoping to get into a better frame of mind after I recover from radiation, and see some improvement in the neuropathy.

Happy Holidays everyone! I'd love to hear from you!

Comic strip #6 is up on the other blog: http://rickstrailnotes.blogspot.com/

My posts are getting fewer and farther between; I guess I have even less to say than before.

So I'm going to be doing the 5-day radiation after all, starting next Wednesday the 16th. Long story, but we worked it out, and it will obviously be a lot better than 25-30 trips to Baltimore. I'm anxious to get started.

Meanwhile, I'm still slowly recovering from chemo. Lots of neuropathy (numbness) in my fingers and feet; the nurse said it could take up to six months for it to subside - I sure hope not. My energy level gets a little better every day. Most days I'm able to go for a 1-3 mile walk, and I've enjoyed the beautiful weather. Went to our homeowners association party last night and actually drank a beer! For which I have hangover symptoms today, doesn't seem fair. But the party was fun.

I'm going to Florida Thursday to Monday with Carly's soccer team, which should be lots of fun. Just gotta remember to pace myself a little.

Love you, my readers! Happy Holidays!