6.5 Weeks of radiation....DONE (long post with photos)

...on Thursday we took our last trip to Spokane! My Dad didn't want anyone to go...he had his buddy from work driving that day and he even told my mom and sister they couldn't come...I had already been planning on going and Stuart and the kids were coming too...I hadn't discussed this with him...so he never told me directly that he didn't want me to come...the whole way there I worried that he would be mad when he saw us...

The last 6.5 weeks have been hard on everyone...especially my dad...driving 2.5 hours to Spokane each morning - going through Radiation and then the 2.5 hour drive home. The kids have asked alot of questions and on Thursday they got to see what we all have been doing all these days...and where he got his Radiation. I think it was good for them to be a part of this...a moment we all will never forget. Of course I was there for my dad...but I also was there for me...to see it through to the end...and though its like we have to hold our breathe everyday because we don't know what's going to happen next - I continue to thank god everyday that my dad is still with us and that he was able to make it through his first round of Radiation and Chemo.

I made three digital LOs for the kids to hold up as signs...the first thing he would see when he walked out that heavy steel door...


(for all three of these LOs I used Templates and Digital Kits from JessicaSprague.com...along wih my favorite date stamps from Karla Dudley.)


...here are some photos I got Thursday morning...we arrived before my dad did and I knew that because he was at the rest area when we drove by...I waited and watched for them to drive into the parking lot and watched my dad go into CancerCare Northwest...I gave him a few minutes before we headed out in the pouring rain...and before walking in the doors I told the kids I didn't want them to say a single word once we walked through these doors...surprisely the waiting room out front was almost completely empty...something we never saw all the weeks previous. I snuck around the corner to see if I could see if my dad was called back yet...but I could see his hand on the railing and I knew we couldn't go back yet...it wasn't long before Michelle my dad's nurse saw me...and she told me she would let me know when he was taken back.

It seemed like forever...I was thinking oh great he really is going to be in a bad mood because of this wait. Finally he was called back and then I grabbed Stuart and the kids and explained to them that he was starting his Radiation right now...and when these doors open in about 15 minutes the first thing he will see is us...



Michelle asked if I wanted her to take a picture of all of us while we were waiting for my dad to finish up...of course I said yes...




...and then that door opened and I heard my dad talking...we waited quietly...


...and he was surprised when he saw us standing there...



...we walked out of there with my dad (mask in hand) and we said goodbye before he started back home. We ended up staying in Spokane for the remainder of the day - did a little shopping ate some lunch and then we headed home ourselves.