Sparklinglady: the end, or the beginning

last week was a big week! lots happened, actually. labor day! hooray!! had the day off from work and radiation! good fun!
then tuesday WAS my last day of radiation! hooray for REALS!!! my mom and janet came with me. they were able to take a tour of the room and the machine and they got to meet all the people. those people are SO nice. every day they were cheerful, always asking how i was doing, helping me figure out my hair situation and all my aches and pains. but they were so nice that even when i went there and was super exhausted and grumpy and feeling like total ass, as soon as they asked me how i was each day, i would smile and be like, oh, i am good! but that was because they were the best part of this whole radiation thing!

THEN! on wednesday was the first day of school - big time 1st grader and 3rd grader on their way! something about taking sirus to his first day of 1st grade was so much harder then kindergarten. he looked so grown up, and lined up with all the kids instead of being dropped off at the kindergarten entrance. and seamus with her sparkly tom's shoes, she continues to blow me away with how grown up she is, how caring, and incredibly smart she is! oh, its hard watching them grow up!! but at least i get to see them grow up!!

on saturday janet and i did the lake stevens sprint tri. it was SO fun! the day was beautiful, the water was warm (but gross), the bike route was rolling and mellow and the run was a long the lake. what more could i have asked for! we raced side by side, except the swim where she had to wait for me at the end of the swim before entering T1, but the rest of it we were pedal for pedal and pace for pace. so fun!
after i took a nap, duh, of course!! and then we went out to the Pom bar at the Pomegranate bistro to celebrate the end of radiation with all the amazing people in my life! i was so touched that so many friends came out, some whom i haven't seen in several years or more, and it was so amazing to give and receive those hugs and laughs! i am so lucky in so many ways!
the next morning however, boy was i tired! i slept in, took a nap and then we headed to the cyclocross race. the kids did their first cyclocross race ever which is super fun becuase they are getting stronger and are better cyclists. they have fun, too. next time, we are looking at signing seamus up for the next level up - 2 complete laps, racing at the same time as the adult super beginners! but then ohmygosh, we came home and i slept some more! i bailed on my run, there was NO way i was getting out there.
NOW i am having some radiation symptons, even though radiation is over. dude, everything smells the same. a little like wet paper i guess. its not a terrible smell, its just not that good. and its everywhere! its as though its oozing out of my skin even. gross. not thrilled. allegedly it should go back to normal in a bit but since it happened after radiation is over i wasn't able to tell the doctors. i'll tell them at my follow up, oct 5. the other thing i have noticed and i am totally bummed about it, is that almond butter tastes terrible. like terrible dirt. ugh, its disgusting. i used to love it! looooove it! now its gross and it bums be out. there are worse things out there then smelling wet paper and almond butter tasting like dirt, but yuck.
so now though i have a sore throat. i probably over did it this weekend and then tuesday and today. waaah! but i'll get over it. what does tomorrow hold? hopefully a nap or two. :) and hopefully not any almond butter!