Feel Good Friday….Oh and I finished Radiation, too!

So much to be thankful for on this Fall Friday. Not only is the crisp weather just an absolutely delight but it’s brought to light so much of what I (and we) all have to be thankful for.

This Friday is a big one for me….I finished my 4 weeks of daily radiation treatments.

That means while most of you were debating politics, worried about school re-openings or not, or how to celebrate your kids birthdays, life was happening behind the scenes for us. Every day, Monday through Friday, was spent driving to Hopkins, changing into a gown and waiting my turn in the radiation bed. Followed by the drive home and subsequent time spent detoxing from all of the radiation exposure. Day in….day out….hours spent. But now, I’m D-O-N-E.

Have no worries in that my summer of chemo certainly did its part to heal. It cleared so much of my previous cancer that there were just a few trouble spots left to blast out of there. In comes radiation. To say it wasn’t a debate with my medical doctors (and insurance), is an understatement. We were faced with hard decisions, advocating for what we knew was right, and even went to so far as to pay for radiation ourselves out-of-pocket because we believed in it that much. Striking a $5-figure check to a medical institution when you carry some of the best medical insurance in the world, is a hard pill to swallow. But after tears cleared, and the reality settled in, we knew it would work out. And it did! Within days and much escalation, the insurance company reversed their decision….and our money will be refunded. How about that for patient advocacy?!

Entering into radiation I was confident this was the next-best option for me. And here we are now, celebrating the completion and the triumph that came with conquering the physical motions of showing up each day, the side effects that will linger a few weeks after treatment and all of the emotional chaos that ensued thanks to the insurance debacle. I did it. We did it. And for that, I am beyond grateful.

At times, it felt like the world had forgotten about me…my quiet healing journey that affected our lives each and every day, was a non-event for most everyone we knew. But this isn’t a sympathy cry, it’s an inspiring one for those that are going through “it”, no matter what your “it” is. Because what I learned, is that life goes on! For me, and for everyone else. And this is the blessing that time brings. Truly! I am never alone. You are never alone. And time, well, it heals wounds, heals the body, closes chapters, opens new ones. It’s a beautiful thing.

So – thank you to all that continue to be a part of my healing journey. Whether you say it or think it, I know you’re always there for me! Your words, prayers, thoughts and all of the things are helping me each and every day.

Cheers to feeling good this Friday!!! Find your gratitude moment right now and cheers to that tonight.

Do it for me! Xo Jill