Dear blog,
I apologize for neglecting you.  I've been busy attempting to have a life :)  I'm sure you understand.

A lot has been going on in my world since my last blog entry.  I ended up in the ER for the 5th time (as if 4 times isn't enough) last Wednesday, and know the source of my sickness now.  This whole time I was thinking it had to be because of all the medications I'm on when really the source lies in one of my absolute favorite food items - peanut butter.  Somehow I've developed a peanut allergy over the course of the past month which saddens me because I Loooove peanut butter with a capital L!  I've been known to take a spoon and dig right in the jar to get my peanut butter fix.  To me peanut butter is a close second followed by chocolate.   I can't imagine a tastier sweet treat.  Unfortunately I think that my peanut butter days are over - at least for now.  People keep saying that maybe this is just a phase and in 6 months or a year I'll be able to try it again without any issues.  I hate to say it, but I may be too chicken to try in 6 months out of fear of what may happen.  Thankfully when I consume anything peanut-based nothing life threatening happens like my throat wanting to close up, but I still feel miserable a couple hours after eating it which means bye bye peanut butter.  It was nice knowing ya!

Since figuring out the source of my tummy issues, I've been feeling really good otherwise and have even starting having this thing I call a life again.  I've been able to go to stores and do a little shopping, and I even attended a bachelorette party this past weekend in which we went out for dinner followed by a dueling piano's bar in downtown Minneapolis.  I've gotten so used to it being just Josh and I at home over the past month that going from that to an overly crowded bar was a tad overwhelming.  I survived though and for the first time in a while I felt like a normal 20 something just out having a good time with the girls.  It was great!

 Even though summer is slowly coming to an end for everyone else, mine is just beginning and I'm cramming in lots of fun stuff this month.  Besides the bachelorette party last weekend Josh and I were invited by our friends to go to a Twins game last night.  They lost (no shocker there), but our row won $25 Target gift cards.  Score!  Tonight we're having dinner with family, and then tomorrow night we're getting on a plane and heading to WI to see one of my best girl friends get married on Friday; hopping back on the plane Saturday to see another close girl friend get married that evening (phew!).  You can say we'll be busy, but it'll be fun.  Our busy schedules have consisted of doctor appointment after doctor appointment for far too long.  It's time to start LIVING and LOVING life again. Don't worry...I'll try not to overdue it!

Josh and I had a third radiation consultation this morning with the folks at Hubert Humphrey, and I think we're both feeling good about the decision to move forward.  It'll be 17 treatments (3 1/2 weeks) Monday through Friday, and the appointments themselves are only about 10 minutes each time.  Thankfully with radiation I won't lose my hair like I did with all the chemo I had since they won't be radiating my brain.  What I will probably experience though is fatigue, a feeling as though I have a lump in my throat due to radiation around my esophagus, and slight (sun)burn on my chest after about 2-3 weeks.  I asked the doctor about the higher risks for breast cancer, heart and lung issues and he said that although there are slight risks just based on where they'll be radiating, that a lot of the studies on the internet and what not are not applicable anymore as most were done in the 60's and 70's before people got smart about radiation doses.  I will be receiving very low dose radiation (much lower than that used for breast cancer, lung cancer, and brain cancer) so he doesn't think I'll run into too many issues if any, but will be watching me closely if anything does come up.  One way is by having me go in for regular mammograms starting in my early 30's so that if breast cancer develops, it'll be caught in its earliest stage.  Does this make me feel better?  Yes, and no.  I don't want to develop breast cancer because of radiation, but I also want to make sure this lymphoma is gone for good which means we move forward with it.  The benefits for me getting radiation outweigh the potential risks so we just have to do this.  I've got three words to add to this and then I'm done: BRING IT ON!