I survived the low-iodine diet and the RAI treatment! I had a scan 2 weeks ago and have been released from my radiology oncologist until my annual scan in 2012. I do have a few left-over side-effects from the RAI, but all tolerable. Saliva glands are still a bit swollen but sucking on candies helps alot. And I definitely lost some taste buds. Interestingly, though, that really didn’t show itself until about a week after I had completed the treatment. I remember taking a bite of something and thinking how bland it was, then I ate chocolate and that’s when I realized what was happening! It seems to slowly be improving. In the meantime, I have stashed a box of the Girl Scout Cookies we ordered and given strict instructions that no one else is to touch them. I LOVE Thin Mints and I’ve eaten a few, but not being able to taste them takes away from the nostalgia of this once a year treat. So I’ve stashed a box (we ordered 5) that I have no intentions of opening until my taste buds are fully back to normal! 
Work has been intense. I’ve only been back for a week and a half. The schedule is crazy and a little overwhelming after all the time I had off. I still get drowsy in the afternoon and don’t have the luxury of vegin’ on the couch anymore.
On a side note – my family has purchased tickets for a our traditional trip to Busch Stadium. Each year we treat ourselves to decent seats early in the season. It started 6 years ago as a birthday trip for our boys but with our hectic schedules, now we just pick a date that works instead of trying to have it close to their birthdays in May or June. We are going on Sunday of Opening Weekend. The kids are excited already – as is tradition, we made sure to pick a game where they will get to run the bases afterward. This will be Isaac’s 9th game and Austin’s 6th in his short 3 years of life so it’s old-hat for them. We’ll catch at least one other game later in the season, but those are usually the free tickets the boys get for being members of the Cardinals Kids Crew.
I am also on the search for St. Louis Cardinal-themed birthday decorations. We have had baseball decorations in the past, but Isaac has specifically said he doesn’t want just baseball, he wants Cardinals. I think we’ll end up with a few pricey STL Cardinal plates for the kids and lots of red and white! I did find some inflatable Cardinals bats that are reasonably priced that I think we’ll do for party favors, but I refuse to spend a fortune!
Until next time….
