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6/31/06 through 7/2/03

6/31 was the first radiation therapy. As I expected, it was not eventful. I simply stayed in the marked position for 10~12 minutes. The side effects will start in about 1~2 weeks.

I am in the Maine cottage for the weekend. Even though I am suffering from low-grade nausea, I definitely feel better than the beginning of the week, when they administered the chemical. If I have to suffer from nausea anyway, I wanted to be in a more healing environment. Also, Mark needs to mow the lawn at least every three weeks here, otherwise the place looks like a jungle; homeowner’s headache.

In one passage in her book, “Kitchen Table Wisdom” Rachel Ramen wrote that the hospital is not a healing environment, and I cannot agree with her more. (I am talking about healing, not the treatment.) To me, looking out to the cove through the sliding door window, seeing the setting sun, surveying the calm morning water where the lobster boats make their rounds, and listening to and watching the birds have much more healing effects than being pampered with all different kinds medicines through portacaths, and I do not mind three hours’ drive for that.

When I was feeling a bit weak during the afternoon on Saturday, my friend R called me from San Francisco. She is currently going through her own chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Her cancer was detected by the regular mammogram in February, and she already undergone the surgery. Her chemotherapy is once every three weeks for 6 times, then go through the radiation.

She just finished her fourth chemotherapy, and was calling from the airport on route to Costa Rica. She is a psychiatrist, and has a wealthy client who invites her to visit him at his villa in Costa Rica for therapy. In addition to conducting her duty as a psychiatrist there, she will recuperate there.

“Well, Mayumi, everything tastes like metal in my case, but fortunately I do not have nausea. So I am going, and am looking forward to hiking in a rainforest.”

Every time I feel a little weak, somebody very positive gives me a call or sends me an Email, and I feed off of their energy. How fortunate I am!