Hello Everyone!
Thank you for being patient as I take my time to post updates. Not much nitty gritty to report these days, as since rad grad, I've been in recovery, transition, and finding my way in the world. I still have to manage my rest quite a bit, am emerging in activity, trying to catch up, and doing my best to eat the best foods and take care of myself.
I'll be sure to keep you posted on any noodle news. Here are some of my set summer plans with the medical community if you're curious....on July 7th, I have an MRI scheduled. July 11th I'll meet with Dr. P, my neurosurgeon to go over the MRI images, I'm really looking forward to seeing these images and to visiting with Dr. P. I'll visit with my oncologist, Dr. W, on July 21st. I ran into him at the farmer's market 6 days after rad grad, he smiled at me, but I couldn't read his mind at all, so no news there, but he certainly seemed happy to see me out and about.
Being out and about after radiation reminds me very much of traveling in places where I don't know much of the language. Lately I feel like international travel prepared me well for the experience of going out into my community post-neurosurgery/6 weeks of radiation to my thinker. For example, when I first arrived in Italy, I knew that I needed to eat and where to go. What I wasn't sure about was how to order. I went to a place where they sold pizza by the weight. After having already traveled to other places where I didn't speak the language, I used a tried and true strategy that I made up, but I'm sure others use as well----> Learn Oh! Copy. Appreciate. Leave. (LOCAL)....so basically at the pizza place it was busy, which is an ideal setting for the LOCAL strategy because that means there's plenty of time to watch others perform standard procedures repeatedly. I love pizza, but a metric slip up could have led to financial and gastric consequences. Needless to say I was able to copy cat and all was bene!
LOCAL seems to work just as well these days with going to my local library branch, popping in for a visit at the school I teach at, walking down the street, grocery shopping, being with other human beings, ordering items at a counter, being a passenger in a car that is traveling quickly, and operating a car for short distances. I'd like to thank France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Auckland's nightlife scene, and some very thickly slurred accents in Scotland for your help in developing the LOCAL method of coping in everyday life tasks abroad and in times of neuro-healing. Also, a special shout-out to NYC, a city which I have to give credit to for its extensive reinforcement and refinement of the LOCAL technique.
I hope that you are all doing well & I appreciate you! Happy almost-summer!
xoxoox,
Sara L.
