Three Weeks After Radiation

Three weeks after radiation treatments came to an end...

I'm feeling stronger as the days go by-- just get tired easily by mid-afternoon. It seems like it's been so much longer than three weeks since treatment ended.

My hair is growing, but ever so slowly. Several times per day I find myself reaching to the back of my neck to feel for my hair, but of course, it's not quite there yet.

It's been so crazy since we were starting to "wrap up cancer"--- Stephen's Dad died, then my dad was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia...

...my sister and her husband have been in Maine for about a week to assist my parents with Dad's care since his early release from the hospital last weekend. His health condition is not good. Due to congestive heart failure, he is weak and unable to be very mobile. He spends most of his days bundled up on the couch, and understandably, he's discouraged. His care is too much for Mom, so we're just not sure what's going to take place in the coming weeks and months.

Meanwhile, we're trying to make a decision within the next few days about whether or not the children and I should travel to Ghana in late March and April with Stephen for his father's funeral. He wasn't wanting to take us, because he knows that he is going to be very busy with funeral related errands, and then with his responsibilities over the course of about a four day period when there will be funeral events and meetings following. He has worried about leaving us in a home in Ghana while he's away for some days in the village, because I don't know the language, etc.

I'm torn, because I know it would be incredibly hard to take the children on a long trip like that, as well as to manage without a washing machine, worry about malaria and other diseases, seeking out foods that we're used to that I can prepare for the children, trying to keep the kids from ingesting tap water, etc. The family home will be very crowded with guests---and is already full with people who live there. I don't want to be a burden to my husband's family by taking up space and needing to shop for bottled water and special food.

This is a VERY HARD decision to make. I've checked with the school and it should be okay for the kids to miss a few weeks. I've found great flight schedules (overnight so the kids can sleep) and relatively good airfare. Those are positives. I'll check with my oncologist on Monday about whether or not I should be traveling to a third world country so soon after treatment, and if I can safely get my Typhoid booster.

Another positive would be for the children to get to meet their grandmother. It's a huge, painful disappointment that they didn't get to meet their grandfather before he passed. And, there are lots of other relatives the kids could meet.

I don't like the idea of my family being so far apart for three weeks---us here, Stephen there. Yet, Kaylee's break is also at the time of our travel and the kids and I would miss seeing her if we were to go to Ghana.
Tyler and Kanaho will be in Japan during some of that time, and Kaylee will be at school. So, this causes me to worry about being on my own with the three kids in our home while my entire family is away.

Another thing I'm worried about is my father's health while I'd be away... what if something happens?

And, of course, another BIG concern is finances. Should we all go, we'll have a financial set-back, unless God provides a miracle. I guess this is where it lies--- I've been praying and asking God to make it clear to us if the kids and I should go. He knows best.