Next Step

I’m scheduled for Y90 radiation on Wed. February 24 and I’ll take 3 weeks off from school. Then I’m likely to have another procedure at some point after that. David and I are working on finding a substitute as Hillary is not available for the full 3 weeks.

I was not convinced this was the way to go. The radiation doctors talked to Mike and me in a way that made us think there was quite a bit of cancer that the Y90 would not reach. I had a series of email exchanges with Dr. Kaplan and finally he got a hold of the radiation folks. He called me Friday night and said he is convinced this is the best bet. He thinks 2 treatments might get it all. He thinks it’s the best shot…so on we go.

Back In Class

One of the things we do in first grade, daily, is have some quiet mindfulness exercises. My class of 25 first graders are particularly “happy.” Sometimes a little “too happy” for learning, if you catch my drift. If you had to identify them as characters from Winnie the Pooh, which I do, I have a lot of Tiggers! So, our mindfulness activities when they come back to me after lunch and recess and other parts of our school day are very helpful and valuable. I have used a variety of exercises and resources, including the book Planting Seeds by Thich Nhat Hanh. We have practiced the pebble meditations and use them frequently. I’ve never used them word for word, I have to paraphrase, but they are a part of our culture by now.

After my 3 days off following my mapping procedure I was telling the kids what happened, how it went and what was coming up next. They had plenty of questions, of course, did it hurt (no, not at all) and one of my favorites was Zachary asking me what color the radiation would be. I told him I’d let him know. But it was Lola who stopped me and made me bite my tongue so I would not cry. She asked me if I used our breathing exercises to help me stay calm during the procedure. Absolutely! I use them all the time and we all talked a bit about how we breathe and use our self talk to calm our worried minds. Everything you need to know you learn in first grade.

Here is my latest love note, from Zachary mentioned above. Fine motor is tricky for Zachary but boy his heart in the right place! 

Breathe in, I am a mountain, Breathe out, I am strong...

with love 

Janet