Balance is Still Off

**reposted from my GoFundMe page**

I wanted to share a quick health update.

I’m still feeling the effects of whole brain radiation, but I am seeing improvements. My taste buds are slowly coming back. I can usually enjoy about four bites of food before everything starts tasting weird again. While it’s frustrating, it’s still much better than when I couldn’t eat at all. Thankfully, the nausea has also improved and now only happens occasionally.

One side effect I knew was a possibility was losing my hair again. So far, there aren’t any signs that it wants to grow back. I’ve never liked wearing wigs, but if my hair doesn’t begin growing soon, I may have to give one a try.

Since my pneumonia hospitalization, I haven’t received any chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatments. I’m scheduled to resume treatment on Tuesday, July 28. I’m not looking forward to it.

I’m still dealing with balance and coordination issues, but I finally reached a milestone that lifted my spirits. Yesterday, I went on my first hike since 2024. It”s really just very slow walking, but I have to start somewhere.

I had actually hoped to get back on the trails about four weeks ago, but Sedona was hit by the Pocket Fire. Although the fire is still burning, the smoke has cleared, and containment is now at 83%.

The hike started off really well. I had just a little wobbling, but overall I felt so happy to be back in nature. Then I spotted a lot of ants on the trail that looked like they were video worthy. While I was filming them, a snake suddenly slithered across the trail startling me. I lost my balance, fell, and injured my wrist.

Even with the unexpected ending, getting back on the trail felt like a huge victory. It reminded me how much I love hiking and how determined I am to keep moving forward.