Alicia is back home. They have her refreshed and ready to tackle a few days of fighting through this routine at home. It is expected that she will need to be hospitalized at least once, if not two or three more times. Just all part of the process.
She has twelve radiation treatments left! They way the radiation works, she doesn't walk out of that final appointment and the body starts healing. Rather the radiation continues to "cook" the cells for weeks after the final dose. It will take time, she will still be fighting the pain and other side effects of the treatments up to a month after they are done. But the more they can tear her down now, the stronger she will be rebuilt.
I will say, I knew that she would be in pain. I have done my research and thought I knew what to expect, how to support her, what issues may come up. And some of the process has been worse than I imagined, while others are not so bad. The burns on her neck aren't as bad as I had prepared. Her nausea is much worse. Actual everything is much more wave-like than I previously realized. A wave of feeling good can carry her pretty far. A wave of pain or sickness can really drag her down, and the higher the wave of bad the harder it is for her to swim to the top before the next wave takes her over again. That's when she has learned to ask for help. I still can't believe how mentally and physically strong she is; and that makes seeing her in pain so much worse. There is more I want to say, but I don't have the right words today.
Thanks again to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers.
If you have any questions let me know!
Sarah
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