It was two for Tuesday today. After two radiation sessions in one day, they added in a fluids infusion. It was a long day but it also brought me nearer to the end. With these two sessions today, I now have only three radiation treatments remaining. This means that once I walk out of radiation on Friday, I get to RING THE BELL! This is a big deal. I have invited both of my daughters to be there as I celebrate crossing the finish line.

I am not trying to rain on my own parade, but even though I finish treatments, it’s not really over. Those two weeks after that last treatment will be tough. That is the warning they are giving me. My body needs to heal now and my throat has been completely burned by the radiation. The difficulty I have eating and the amount of weight I have lost, will stand in my way. But, I’ve come this far, what’s a couple more weeks? Then there’s the question everyone asks, “will the tumor be gone?” The answer, unfortunately, will have to wait two to three months before they can do a final CT scan. Fingers crossed, the answer will be that it is gone.

This journey has been tough, even tougher than I thought it would be. Through it all, I found my strength in the incredible support I received from friends and family. So many of you prayed for me. Still others sent me periodic messages of strength. A little shout out to my sister and my cousin who sent me daily inspirations. Some of you even took over when I couldn’t do it myself. And then there was my wife, Deb. She never missed a beat. Day in and day out she was there for me. She was my cook, my stenographer, my cheerleader, and my coach. She experimented as we searched for foods and combinations that I would tolerate. She filled notebooks with the advice and directives of our seven doctor team. And when I was down, she left me daily notes of encouragement. I would not have made it this far without that support. You win battles through team efforts. Thank you everyone for all that you have done. Your encouragement and willingness to help was the strength you gave me to see this through. I had a team of doctors but just as important, I had a team of supporters.

Thanks for taking this journey with me. I would never had taken it without you.