4/4! 100%! Finished! Completa! Finito! All Done!

I AM ALL DONE WITH CHEMO!!!!!!!!!!!

I had my last treatment on July 15, 2013. I was so, so happy to finish - I think I grinned pretty much the whole time I was there. An elderly patient there asked me as soon as I sat down if it was my last treatment. I guess you could tell. :) 

Ironically, I got kind of sick on my last week. I got some kind of sinus sickness. It wasn't fun, but I started antibiotics ASAP and nipped that buckeroo in the bud. Of course, it lingered FOREVER, but I didn't have any nasty antibiotic side-effects like the other two times I had to take antibiotics. 

Anyway, let's look at some pictures to celebrate! 

(the first ones are from the week of my second-to-last treatment)

Stephanie, the lucky lady who weighed me every time I came in, took my blood pressure, and let Patrick weigh himself. We had lots of jokes about Patrick being more concerned about his weight than a girl. :) I also constantly forgot her name, so I'm praying I got it right - how embarrassing is that??

This is Jamie (I have no idea if I'm spelling her name right. I'm awful.). She's the top dog nurse lady at the clinic and she is super amazing. Very down-to-earth, perceptive, and such a big, warm heart.

This is Dr. Rich, the man himself, my doctor. He's super great. We got off-topic SOOO many times during our appointments. I think Patrick REALLY liked to talk to him. He's super fabulous and I'm so glad I was referred to him. 

Here's Nancy, the Nurse Practitioner. I love all the people at the clinic, but Nancy told me she give me a note to go to Disney and get perma-fast passes for me and up to 6 people. And she always intended to bring lettuce from her garden for me so I could eat salad. She's hilarious and just plain great. 

This is just a picture of me that Makenzie took one night when we trying to take up time before going to bed. 

And these are from my last treatment!!!! 

Thank you, Patrick, for being an awkward paparazzi of sorts. He took super flattering pics of me. :)

"Yay! Last treatment! Stop taking my picture!"

Waiting to go back to see the doctor. 

This is Collette. She wan't working the day I pestered everyone else for a picture. So I bugged her for one on my last day. Collette is super awesome. She has a huge heart and we both started crying after my last treatment. :) 

This is the bell you ring after your last treatment. The sign says, "Celebrate your last treatment. RING THE BELL!" Gladly. :) I saw a few people ring the bell while I was at chemo. I was VERY much looking forward to ringing this bell. 

Getting ready to ring!!

Hubby and I. We made it!!! We finished chemo!!!!! Such a happy day! (And so full of fluids... one of the ironic things about finishing is that you still have to suffer for another week haha)

I met a lady at chemo about 3 treatments to the end. She has breast cancer (if I remember that right) and has a very long chemo road ahead of her. I gave her a hug on my way out. We didn't talk A TON, but we saw each other every other week for a few weeks and there was/is just something special about her. It's weird not going back - I kind of feel like my schedule is thrown off and I miss people. 

The Sunday night two weeks after my last treatment (which would've been the night before another treatment), when we were getting ready for bed, Makenzie told me that she didn't want me to go to chemo the next day. She was crying a bit and kind of said/cried, "I don't want you to chemo." Children are SOOOO perceptive. I mean, I guess the habit/schedule was really... our schedule. She could tell that it had been two weeks. That is just crazy to me!! And so crazy that my kids learned the word 'chemo' and that they can associate it with me being gone and being sick. It just broke my heart thst she said that and just wanted me to hold her. I'm really glad that I was able to tell her that I didn't have to go to chemo and we could play all day long together. What a tender moment for me, as her mother. I love that little girl. Her spirit is so huge. 

So now I'm done with chemo!! Yahoo!!!

I started radiation on Monday and I'm getting my port removed tomorrow! :)