Graduation!

Karyn officially finished her radiation therapy yesterday, passing
the second big hurdle in her ongoing recovery. For those of you who
don't know what a big deal this is, let me explain. You see, every
day for the last 6 1/2 weeks, Karyn has been going to a small
radiology office where her head was literally bolted to a table while
a room-sized radiation accelerator beamed high dosages of radiation
at her brain. It was an intensely barbaric process to watch, to see
her unable to speak, unable to open her eyes and at the complete
mercy of the technicians who oversee this process. I am so proud of
how strong she has been and how effortless she made the whole process
seem. It is this kind of strength that will surely propel Karyn to a
full recovery and we can all learn from the grace she displayed
throughout the process.

I also want to mention how amazing it has been to meet the many other
cancer patients we have crossed paths with in our stints in the
waiting room. Breast cancer, throat cancer, brain cancer, stomach
cancer, leg cancer....there are too many cancers to name. And yet,
while life goes on as normal for everyone else outside those walls,
these people display a strength and courage that only someone in
their position can understand.

And to the many technicians, nurses and staff of this facility...we
owe so much gratitude to them for it is their dedication to what they
do that saves lives every day. As we watched the new faces show up in
the waiting room over the past month-and-a-half, we saw the fear and
the confusion, yet we know that, like Karyn, they too would fall into
their new routine and find the courage to fight the ultimate fight.
Hats off to all of them.

In other news, Karyn's physical progress is coming along nicely. As I
said before, this is a slow process....I like to say that it moves
along at a "glacial pace". But just yesterday Karyn was able to stand
on her own, one hand on the counter while the physical therapist's
hand kept her left knee from bending. There she stood, solid and
secure for close to 5 minutes. She can sit up without any balance
problems now and is able to move her left leg much more than she
could even last week.

It's all coming back....we know we have to wait for it, but all good
things take time. As the effects from the radiation begin to fade,
her strength and energy will return....but one thing that she has
never lost through all of this is that wonderful wonderful Karyn
energy that can and will move mountains.

We love you Karyn!

~Julian