Ed and Rob,
I slept alot during my radiation but mine was during the summer so the kids were out of school. I will always feel like that was a blessing to us. I could sleep a good amount of time but still be up and about to keep the house reasonably normal. I remember Open House, during the summer, for my 10 and 11 year old. I had the "lobster look" going on, half my face burnt bright red. My face and neck were still quite swollen from my surgery and I still had a hefty limp from the removal of the bone from my leg. I was quite a sight! But, I put on my "mom" outfit (i spend 99% of my time in sweats but have one skirt!)and off we went to open house. This was a new school for us and the looks I got were pretty overwhelming.................to everyone except my girls. They didn't notice and didn't give a hoot. I was mom, no matter what I looked like at the time. My 10 year old, Samantha, was walking with me last week through the grocery store and I noticed her looking at my neck alot. She finally smiled at me and said that my neck "doesn't look mad anymore".
As I've said before, my fear has always been about my children. If this cancer takes me I will have the easy job, to die and go to God. My children and my husband will be the ones left to deal with it all...........without me. That is the thought that wakes me up at night sometimes to a gut wrenching fear. It's that thought that has made me assist my husband in taking on more of the "emotional" side of parenting. If I go, I will make damn sure that my family is taken care of before I'm called home. My husband is learning how to be a pretty awesome mother! Just a safety precaution.............life is a dangerous career, lol.
Live everyone.............hug the kids..............get silly with the spouse..........and cry when you need to.