Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing regular posts about how I'm preparing for radiation. I'm hoping these can help someone else, as I struggled to find a conversational source like this that dealt with the subject. For more information on my brain tumor, check out these posts.

I've spent the last three months' worth of Mondays sharing with you all about how I came to do radiation therapy for my brain tumor and how I've been preparing for it. My hope is that these posts can serve as insight, advice, or even just commiseration for others that are facing brain radiation, as I struggled to find a resource out there like this one. If you have found value in these posts, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd let me know in the comments and/or share this series with anyone in your sphere that might be able to benefit from them. The Monday that this post is published marks the final week of my treatment. As I mentioned in this post, the literature suggests that my symptoms will continue to increase after treatment, peaking between 2-4 weeks after it ends, so this isn't over. We just won't be having to drive two hours into the city every day, and for that I will be VERY GRATEFUL!!!

We've been noticing and marking things that will be different, things we might miss about it though. We've made lots of connections with people at the hospital, both my team as well as other patients and hospital staff that we've met along the way. Like Abraham, the parking lot attendant. Every day we wish him a good morning on his way to his post and we chat briefly on our way out of the lot, ending with a "See you tomorrow!" Next Friday, we won't be saying that. Then there's the staff member whose name I don't know, but whose voice I can pick out of a crowd that exchanges a "Happy Tuesday" or "Happy Friday" with me each day. I've formed bonds with the other patients that I share the secondary waiting room with as we sit and wait for our respective machines to be available. We sit in our vulnerability, our insecurity. Half of them sit with nothing on below the belt. We share our fears, our hopes, our faith. I'll miss them. Some of these precious people have already graduated and moved on. There's a special gong at the front of the clinic, and when you complete your treatment, you are supposed to bang it in celebration. I've gotten to witness this a few times, celebrating with my compatriots. This Friday, I will get to do it myself.

So, what have I learned from the five weeks of radiation therapy I've had so far that I can pass onto future patients? Here goes!

* Yes, the mask is hard to tolerate. It can feel confining, and I've even had it be painful at times, but that's one of my big hints - you can adjust in it! You want to do this right away after they lock it onto the table, but scooch yourself up just a smidge so the top of your head presses on the top of the mask and it will relieve pressure you might feel on top of or under your chin. I didn't know this and endured a few painful treatments before a helpful tech suggested that I try adjusting.

* The other trick with the mask is that it can be claustrophobic, especially since it's keeping you from moving. My first recommendation for this is to embrace it. Find peace and reassurance in knowing that the mask is holding you still so you don't have to stress over that. Secondly, breathe. Focusing on your breathing can take the overwhelm out of the restriction. I recommend trying box breathing, a fairly simple technique you can practice anywhere.

Before you know it, the treatment will be over and you'll be sliding out of the machine. At my clinic, they play music and you can request an artist or genre if you'd like. Having that going definitely makes the time go faster. Finally, prayer. Prayer is my go-to. When I feel panicky, when I feel scared, when I feel, I pray. I pray for the treatment. I pray for my team. I pray for my witness. I pray for the people I spoke with in the waiting room that day. I pray for my family. Sometimes I pray for the ridiculous, impossible fears that pop into my mind (I won't enumerate them because I don't want to add to your fears!). But every day, I pray.

* Speaking of breathing, at my first treatment I struggled with breathing through my nose, my preferred method, because of the way the mask blocked it. I asked my techs after the treatment, and they said they could open up the nostrils a bit for me. That made all the difference! Please don't hesitate to let your team know if you have a struggle because you never know how they might be able to help.

* Bring a buddy! Zora has been such a blessing and a comfort to me during this process. So much better than clutching onto a foam-rubber ring every time, having this little zebra friend to hold onto, her softness comforting my hands and the little beads in her hooves interesting my fingers, lends a sweetness to a challenging situation.

* One of the common side effects of any radiation is nausea, and odds are your doctor will prescribe Zofran or another anti-nausea medication for you to take during this season. Sadly, most medications come with side effects, and Zofran is no exception. Its most common issue? Constipation. Yuck. I got hit BAD with this during the first week of treatment and I'd like to caution you about it so that maybe you could avoid the misery I felt. AS SOON AS YOU START TAKING ZOFRAN ALSO START TAKING MIRALAX!!!!! Everyone is different and perhaps, for you, Senna or Dulcolax is a better option than MiraLAX, you've got to find what works best for you, but take something right away, don't wait for it to get bad first because it takes a long time to turn that boat around! And be certain that you are getting plenty of fluids, at least 60 oz per day, while doing this because the medication pulls water from your body, so you've got to have it in there!

* Finally, stay flexible. Things are going to come up. Patients before you will have delays which will throw off schedules. Your appointment times may get switched up. Maybe you'll even have the opportunity to let someone in need go ahead of you, offering a blessing and a witness. Meeting challenging situations with love and grace will go a long way towards sharing God's love as well as blessing you and your time in this process.

Here's the Thing: I didn't know any of this stuff before radiation, but maybe now you can. If you found any of this helpful, please let me know!