Did you do anything to celebrate end of treatment?

Brief article (linked below) consisting of posts by individuals relating some of the things they did to celebrate the end of their cancer treatments.

Some of the things mentioned:

Having parties, of course (one poster called hers her LifeParty).
Some parties at home, some in the hospital.
One person's family made a giant poster with photos of people.
"Burn every doctor's note" party.
"I think I am going to have an ice cream party!"

A common sentiment seemed to be the impulse to do at least something, in a kind of emotional shout-out "Hey, I'm done!"

(BTW, off topic, but one poster also mentioned something rather ingenious: getting a tattoo over a scar resulting from treatment, in order to hide it. Hadn't thought of that).

Of course some may well say "Hey, I'll be happy to have a party when I get the word that I’m in remission! That's the time to have a party!" And that's understandable. But, still, the notion of doing at least something to celebrate the end of treatment, for most of us a harrowing journey, seems reasonable.

So what's your feeling about doing something to celebrate end of treatment? Or did you do so in the past, or would you want to do so in the future?

Or maybe doing so isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Personally, I was too wasted with fatigue at the end of RT treatment to think about such things. But even if I had done something, it would have been pretty small and informal.

How about you?

stupidcancer.org/community/discussion/268/did-you-do-anything-special-to-mark-the-end-of-your-treatment

Finished RT, gave the Tech-Girls some candies, snuck out the back door, and went back to work like it never happened.

I decided that every weekend would be a vaction. They start every Friday at 4:00 with a martini. It works.

After my robotic prostatectomy I did nothing. But a couple of years later after I finished my salvage IMRT radiotherapy I opened a very nice Bordeaux and enjoyed it. Other then that it was like any other day.

I rang the bell and took a picture of myself with all the techs using the goofy selfie stick the kids got me for Xmas. They are a Great group of people at MDAnderson. I have a fond memory of walking in to radiation near the end of treatments surprised to hear Ziggy Stardust playing over the stereo system. I forgot they had asked me earlier what kind of music I preferred. They listened, remembered and cared. Thanks Tobi!

Paid the balance of my bill and went to work. Just like any other days and I have never looked back.

I have a little party whenever I can find an excuse for that.

Having the NATA Taekwondo Grand Master test me 1 last time in TKD while we were in the waiting room during my radiation treatments was extraordinary, even more so when he told me I was now a "Graduate" Black Belt at the end of that. I went home and put a golden third stripe on my black belt. That was party enough for me.

Of course, it was another 2 years before I got the last injection of Leuprolide chemo so treatment had not ended. Now that I am almost 2 months shy of my Leuprolide end point (that is 2.5 years after the end of 2.5 years of that chemo), I may celebrate somehow IF I get my pituitary function back...but I am not holding my breath on that.

Of course, the celebration may well involve getting some dental work done right quick so I don't lose my jaw if/when I have to go back on that crap.......

JFL1957 said...
I rang the bell and took a picture of myself with all the techs using the goofy selfie stick the kids got me for Xmas. They are a Great group of people at MDAnderson. I have a fond memory of walking in to radiation near the end of treatments surprised to hear Ziggy Stardust playing over the stereo system. I forgot they had asked me earlier what kind of music I preferred. They listened, remembered and cared. Thanks Tobi!

Very similar experience when I finished SRT at MD Anderson. Tobi was a fun guy, I would always try to yank his chain about the football games going on that season. All of the techs were quite good and sympathetic.

After finishing treatment number 40 I bought cupcakes for all the techs and rang the crap out out the bell. Then took my wife out for supper and haven't looked back.

Carl

After the last radiation treatment we went out to dinner with our kids and grandkids. They brought a cake with "kicking cancer's a**" written in frosting and a bouquet of glow-sticks. Our kids have warped senses of humor.