10 Day Countdown!

I am all relaxed from a week of vacation, some fun events, and visits with good friends! I am rejuvenated and ready to dive back into work full of energy and renewed enthusiasm. It is amazing what time off does to the soul and the mind - and so important for all of us to indulge in every now and then.

23 down and 10 to go!! My 10 treatment countdown starts today and that fills me with joy and relief. The burn effects from the radiation are now somewhat painful for this pasty white irish girl's skin but the 10 day countdown posted on my fridge is how I'm going to get through it (that and a little extra aloe from the monster plants we have growing in our bathroom!) I have been exing off each day as I complete a treatment and took great delight in marking my last 10 treatment days with their number last week. Exing them out will be my own mini celebration and my big red sharpie pen is ready! I'm already planning my goodbye gifts for the wonderful St. Peter's Radiation Oncology staff. So far a mixed case of Blanc de Blanc (sparkling wine) and Pomme Bolle (hard cider) from Hudson-Chatham Winery tops the list.

I'll be mostly working from home these next two weeks and very appreciative of a boss and team that understands that this is necessary at this point in my treatments. We have all been remote workers at IBM for so long that it's not a big deal and we've all adjusted to it with tools like blackberries, instant messaging, conference calls, and webcast presentations. There is still nothing like face to face meetings to gel us as a team though and I look forward to September 21st when will have our next team get together.

Thanks for all the continued support and good wishes. I hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day Weekend and looking forward to the beautiful fall weather that is already starting here in the Northeast.