Chemo Holiday

Me, my Dad and two brothers. Nice to all be together.

Chemo-holiday is what the medical professionals refer to the breaks a cancer patient receives between rounds of treatments.  The month of July has been my chemo-holiday. 

I had grand visions of feeling completely normal, back to my original self during this break.  However, the physical damage caused from the radiation, chemo and surgery has left me feeling a bit worse than I care to admit. I guess I am human after all. I do actually feel much better than I did last month, I just don't have all of my energy back yet.

I did have a great time during my chemo holiday.  The month started with my brother flying down for a few days.  We had a great visit with him and other family members. Thanks to my other brother and a friend of his I got to spend a day on the ocean fishing for cobia. I also had a couple of friends come in from out of town.  The three of us plus a local mutual friend had a great weekend, with the highlight being a day at the Salvador Dali museum.

Hanging with Christian, Dave and Jason at the Dali museum.

Next we visited Rhonda's family for a couple of days before heading to North Georgia to stay at the Second Wind Cancer Retreat.

The beautiful Second Wind Retreat cabin

Second Wind was the perfect closing to my "holiday". Earlier this summer when I received the news that I had cancer, we were forced to cancel our summer vacation plans.  Eventually Rhonda found the website for Second Wind. What a blessing!  This place is absolutely amazing.  Peacefully situated in the mountains of North Georgia. Located far enough away from everything to be completely still, quiet and beautiful, but close enough to several great little mountain towns if you need to see civilization.

Chilling on the front porch at Second Wind

We did some nice hikes where I pushed my body harder than I have since my surgery.  I was able to handle things pretty well, but definitely felt the fatigue.  Quite the humbling experience it was to have to struggle through a hike that I used to be able to do without breaking a sweat.  Unfortunately my son was unable to join us otherwise, the trip was perfect.

With the month coming to an end, I return back to my new "normal". Monday starts the first of three consecutive days of doctors’ appointments.  By the end of the week I will most likely be back on chemotherapy, but since I have learned to take things day by day, that is a story for another time.

Rhonda and Illiana on the bank of the Toccoa River