This year the district gave us this whole week off for Thanksgiving instead of the usual three days. Everyone was super excited about it, especially folks who travel over the holiday. I imagine people who do lots of cooking/hosting will be grateful for the extra time, too.
We won't be doing any traveling this year (not that we ever do). We're in the process of preparing to paint the remodeled room, and so the meal I cook for the two of us tomorrow will be small and relatively simple. I picked up three large turkey breasts for the freezer last week--they were such a good price that I couldn't resist--and I'll cook one of them for the holiday, and the other two will be handy to have around later in the winter.
Gregg had three separate oncology appointments yesterday. He's going to be doing four or five radiation treatments sometime within the next few weeks, probably before Christmas. There's a small and (very) slowly growing mass in his lung and the doctors all agree that it shouldn't be ignored. His PET scan came back clear, thank goodness, although there was a slight bit of heightened activity around the spot. They can't do a biopsy, since that poses some risks when you only have one lung, so they've decided to treat it as if it's malignant and proceed from there. They're all confident that a few radiation treatments will eliminate any potential future problems. I'm really, really grateful that the doctors are being so proactive in taking care of him.
Radiation will be a new experience. The last time, it was surgery and chemotherapy, chemotherapy that he did not tolerate well at all. The first thing he said about this treatment plan was, "At least I don't have to do chemo this time." It should be over relatively quickly, and fatigue and skin irritation are the only major side effects they expect. But then, get this: the radiology oncologist Gregg met with said that occasionally a broken rib is a side effect of lung radiation.
A BROKEN RIB, Y'ALL.
Hopefully, that won't happen. And the doctor assures him it isn't all that common and they have good pain relief available if it does. But still!
Thank goodness the treatments should be done by January, and we can leave this episode behind as just one more shitty thing that happened in 2024. I'm really hoping for a better 2025.
It's a great thing to get the whole week off! Good luck to Gregg in his upcoming radiation treatments -- may all go well and smoothly, and may it resolve the problem. Happy Thanksgiving to you both.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debra.
DeleteIt sounds very violent if it involves a broken rib. Do they throw him about? Do give Greg my best wishes.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like they throw him about, huh? :) Hopefully it won't happen but..
DeleteIt is good that you have that extra time off and can get things done.
ReplyDeleteFrom friends' experiences with radiation treatment, I can confirm the fatigue, but none of them ever ended up with a broken rib because of it, or even had skin irritation. As you say, Gregg's doctors are really taking good care of him, and it sounds like they know their stuff and are going about it in a very sensible way.
Dear Jennifer, 2025 can only get better, can't it!
Love & hugs to you,
Meike
xx
Thank you Meike. The broken rib thing occasionally happens because they shoot the radiation through the ribcage to get to the lung.
DeleteHow wonderful to have the entire week off. I hope you both can relax and enjoy it. I’ve been thinking about Gregg and wondering how things were going. I’m glad there’s a plan. Sorry about the radiation, but glad they’re erring on the side of caution.
ReplyDeleteWe've been doing lots of painting and finishing of the remodeled room. I can't wait to get done and show you all pictures!
DeleteGregg's doctors sound very proactive; that is good. He is very lucky he has you as support; makes everything easier, even difficult things like this.
ReplyDeleteYes, his doctors are good and we're feeling a bit more positive about everything now.
DeleteI hope all goes well Jennifer! At least you had the week off to make it a bit less street up. Keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy Thanksgiving to you both and the pups.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Maddie! The week off was nice. Back to work this am.
DeleteThinking good thoughts and wishing away broken ribs--I've never heard of such a thing in radiation.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy the day, and think good thoughts for 2025!
Yes! Good thoughts for a new year!
DeleteThanks for the update Jennifer. You and Gregg have been through a lot of health concerns together and so you are stronger than most. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving meal together. Please give my regards to Marco. Love, Neil x
ReplyDeleteWe had a very nice meal, thank you. Regards given to Marco. :)
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving, dear Jennifer! And to your Gregg as well. This news is not SO bad. I know you wish this little node, whatever it is, had not appeared at all but it sounds like the doctors will definitely have things set right here soon. I'll be thinking of you as I make our little Thanksgiving supper. And enjoy your days off.
ReplyDeleteWe're feeling better about it all right now, Mary. He should get a schedule of treatments this week, hopefully it will be done by the end of the month.
DeleteI've been wondering what the doctor's plan was for Gregg. Hope the radiation goes smoothly and quickly and all will be well after that. Happy Thanksgiving to you both. I am thankful for your blog and really enjoy hearing about your life, Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thing to say. Thank you!
DeleteThank you for giving us an update on Gregg. I am glad that he doesn't have to endure chemotherapy again. I had radiation when I had cancer. The major downside was an immense fatigue. But that is something much easier to deal with than nausea. I am sending you positive vibes. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteNausea really is the worst thing! Thank you Michael.
DeleteWishing you and Gregg a nice Thanksgiving. Yes, 2025 has been a crappy year for many of us...."better days ahead" as my dad used to say. I've got my fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI hope Gregg does well with the radiation therapy. It sounds like the docs are 'on it' and are dealing with this very proactively. Enjoy your time off from work. Being a nurse, I had to work so many holidays. That was a bummer, but I hope I was able to help a few folks along the way. Have a great day.
Paranormal John
I understand working alllll the time during the holidays...I was in retail management for years and years. I still never, ever take all this wonderful time off for granted!
DeleteMay we all have a better 2025!
That is good news, always tempered with worry though. When they radiated my husband's lung, he ended up only being able to eat soft foods for a while. However, he had a bunch of radiation and it doesn't sound like Gregg needs that. It's been a discouraging year on many fronts.
ReplyDeleteWe're hoping that the side effects aren't too bad, since he'll only have about 5 sessions. We shall see...thank you Margaret.
DeleteI am thankful this day for knowing you.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for knowing YOU. Your blog is a gift, and one of my favorites. Thank you.
DeleteI'm hoping for the best for Gregg.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate that.
DeleteWhen I was first diagnosed witj Myeloma I had 17 rounds of radiation. the only thing I remember is some fatigue. Gregg should do just fine. It is very advanced technology and very exact where it pinpoints the spot. The first appt is the longest as they chart the targeted spot. After that, you're in and out in no time at all. Good luck, and I'm sure it will very successful.
ReplyDeleteI showed Gregg your comment and it made him feel a little better. Thank you for sharing that with us!
DeleteA broken rib?! I wonder why? Here's hoping Gregg's experience is effective and not too disruptive. It does sound like the doctors are capably watching out for him. Enjoy your time off!
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I can think of is that they go through the rib to get to the lung. When he had his left lung removed, they had to crank his ribs open/apart. I didn't know about that until later...thank goodness! I would have been even more worried than I already was during the surgery.
DeleteI've never heard of a broken rib associated with radiation, so I hope it's rare and doesn't happen to your beloved.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Same, Janie. Thank you.
DeleteJust catching up on your posts Jennifer. I have been away from blog reading for a bit. I am so sorry. May all be well again soon. x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel, for the concern and for visiting and leaving me a comment. I have been SO behind on reading blogs lately. Life has been super busy! But I hope you're doing well, and I'll try to catch up with you soon. Thank you again for the thoughtful comment!
DeleteI just knew things were going to be fine. Enjoy your holiday.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Melinda! Everyone's support means a lot to me.
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