Friday, July 8, 2016
First Pitch
Week 3
Short week, only four treatments, I'm currently in double figures at 13 only have 31 more to go. Hmm, did I transpose something here. 13 down 31 to go, I get to use the 1 and the 3 here a lot.
Anyhow, survived week three (there it is again). The treatments were a breeze this week and oh what a week, it flew by. I knew having a 7 year old boy (Beau) would make the week go fast and it flew by. Below are some of the highlights of the 4 days:
Anyhow, survived week three (there it is again). The treatments were a breeze this week and oh what a week, it flew by. I knew having a 7 year old boy (Beau) would make the week go fast and it flew by. Below are some of the highlights of the 4 days:
- Tuesday
- Left Marysville at 7:00 am and made it to ProCure in time for my treatment
- Checked my emails after the treatment and handled some work items
- Beau and I went swimming, pool was great but oh man was it hot in Oklahoma City
- Free beer at the hotel
- Wednesday
- Graduation for 10 Proton patients
- All types of cancer and all ages
- Scarlet, from England, bone cancer, young girl maybe 11 years old, very strong girl and very strong family, here with her twin brother, another brother and mom and dad
- Young boy 3 or 4 years old, brain tumor
- Several prostate patients, one lung cancer and one breast cancer
- Our good friend (Staybridge) Tom graduated on Wednesday, Patty and I really got to know him over the past three weeks, his wife drove in for the graduation, his scenario is so much like mine, prostate cancer, he investigated Proton therapy, his insurance company did not pay and he is only 55 years old
- Beau was in awe during the graduation ceremony, this is a 7 year boy, I was impressed by his attention during the ceremony, the young children have videos of pictures before and during their stay along with music, it is so great to see their smiles, again 'mine is nothing'
- Science museum and Zootopia in the evening, I was almost worn out by that 7 year old
- Oh yea, free beer at the hotel
- Thursday
- About forgot, treatment and doctor appointment
- Doing great, my urgency to urinate seems to have increased during the night, doctor told me everyone is different, it's your body informing you something is happening, like yea, proton radiation, doc says everything will be fine, some have it early some have it later during treatment, take an ibuprofen before going to sleep, seems easy
- Actually, I have had very few symptoms before this:
- Strong stream
- Able to empty
- No burning
- Urgency has been normal
- Seldom up during my sleep
- Hope this all continues
- Afternoon free to work on some work items and a quick nap
- Minor league baseball game in the evening, Omaha vs Oklahoma City
- The bombing site at 10:00 pm is so surreal, wow, say a prayer
- Friday
- Another shooting, is it just common now?
- Treatment and the drive home
- Oh yea, you might like to know, didn't even get up during the night, YEA!!
Monday, July 4, 2016
America's Birthday, July 4th
Well the weather sure did cooperate for the 4th of July. This week I will only be able to have four treatments as America's Birthday is celebrated and ProCure is closed on Monday. No matter how bad we have it, this is still the greatest country on earth. The United States of America.
If we could just somehow all live together in Peace. Do you think it will ever happen? No probably not but it still is a great thought and something that we all need pray for.
Patty, Beau and I are headed out Tuesday morning at 7:00 am, my treatment on Tuesday is at 2:00 pm and with all the people heading home after a great 4th of July traffic will be heavy. Beau, our 7 year old grandson is going with us this week to Oklahoma City. It's short week and this is about the only week he has free from wrestling, baseball, swim lessons and other summer activities so we asked him to come along. Plus he loves hotel breakfast.
It should be an interesting week living in a home away from home with a seven year old. He's a great kid and I'm sure it will make the week go fast. I've had nine treatments so far so after this week I will be in double figures. Yea.
On with Proton Therapy!!
If we could just somehow all live together in Peace. Do you think it will ever happen? No probably not but it still is a great thought and something that we all need pray for.
Patty, Beau and I are headed out Tuesday morning at 7:00 am, my treatment on Tuesday is at 2:00 pm and with all the people heading home after a great 4th of July traffic will be heavy. Beau, our 7 year old grandson is going with us this week to Oklahoma City. It's short week and this is about the only week he has free from wrestling, baseball, swim lessons and other summer activities so we asked him to come along. Plus he loves hotel breakfast.
It should be an interesting week living in a home away from home with a seven year old. He's a great kid and I'm sure it will make the week go fast. I've had nine treatments so far so after this week I will be in double figures. Yea.
On with Proton Therapy!!
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Fact Sheet Along with Picture
PROTON THERAPY FACT SHEET
- Most precise form of radiation treatment available today. Destroys primary tumor site, leaves surrounding healthy tissue and organs intact and unharmed.
- Is non-invasive and painless. Maintains a patient’s quality-of life during treatment process as an out-patient. Patients continue with normal activities during treatment. Play golf, tennis, swim, walk, run, workout in a gym, or go on a “radiation vacation.”
- Avoids the usual side effects of standard x-ray radiation. Minimum to no side effects with protons. Highly effective treatment for wide range of localized tumors in head and neck area, lung, prostate, bladder, spinal cord, gastro malignancies,
and ocular tumors, among others. Working on treating breast cancer with small protocols utilizing a new scanning technique. Women with breast cancer can avoid damage to lungs and surrounding breast tissue. - Protons can be used in conjunction with other cancer treatment modalities such as chemotherapy.
- Treatment time can take from one day for certain conditions or up to eight weeks (prostate cancer) depending on tumor sites.
- Highly preferred radiation treatment modality option for pediatric cases because children are susceptible to injury from standard x-ray radiation as their tissues and organs are growing rapidly. Children don’t have to be subjected to needless exposure from damaging radiation.
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| This is exactly how they do my therapy every day, one side then the next day the other. |
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Balloons for Graduation
Here are the balloons for Grayson's graduation party today. The room was full for his graduation party. I want to send out a big thank you to Patty for writing today's blog. Super job.
If any of you want to share my blog with others just send me their email and I will have blogger send them an email to join my blog. Please tell them to look for the email from blogger to sign in to join my blog, just like you had to.
Cards and Royals having a good series. We get Fox Sports Midwest-St. Louis here in OKC, I'm able to watch almost every Cardinal game. A change has to happen pretty soon or neither the Royals or Cardinals will be playing in October this year. Max
Ghost-writing for Max
June 29th - OKC
Patty here at the keyboard...Today was "Graduation Day" for little Grayson at ProCure. Grayson is a 3-year old boy who is staying at Staybridge Suites with his family while undergoing proton treatments. (More on Staybridge Suites later in this blog.) Since Max's treatment was scheduled at the same time of this luncheon for Grayson, Max missed the graduation ceremony, so he asked me to do the blogging today. Grayson was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the end of January, 2016...started chemo immediately which did not shrink the tumor. His parents were advised to go to America (they talk as if they are Aussies, but we are not sure where they are from) for proton therapy and that is how they arrived here. All of the gray-haired prostate patients in the crowd at the luncheon took on a humbled demeanor with a tear in their eye when this little 3 year old's mother told the story of their journey to ProCure and their appreciation of what was done for Grayson the last 8 weeks. With Grayson's mother is his father and his older sister...all pulled from their normal lives to come to a strange country, live in a little hotel suite for 8 weeks and hope. I am not going to complain about our 5.5 hours of windshield time to come back home to our family every weekend ever again. Tonight at the complimentary evening meal that Staybridge Suites so graciously offers three nights during the week and at which time all the cancer patients and their families seem to gravitate together to have a beer and exchange journey stories, I met a 15-year old boy from the UK who will start proton treatment next week. He & his mom came here after two years of chemo did not shrink his brain tumor. There is no proton treatment center in Europe. Happy birthday, America and thank you for being the great nation that you are where excellent medical care is available right here. Now, a little about where we are calling home for the next 8 weeks. Staybridge Suites is located straight down the road from ProCure and many of the ProCure patients stay here...we have come to know why. They provide great accommodations at a fair price, the staff is great and really cater to the needs of these families that come here for treatment. It is located in a very nice area of OKC and shopping, restaurants, etc are in walking distance for those who come here with no car. This has been a blessing to us since we spend a lot of time here. Max is doing well and counting down his treatments to that number zero. Today...37!
Patty here at the keyboard...Today was "Graduation Day" for little Grayson at ProCure. Grayson is a 3-year old boy who is staying at Staybridge Suites with his family while undergoing proton treatments. (More on Staybridge Suites later in this blog.) Since Max's treatment was scheduled at the same time of this luncheon for Grayson, Max missed the graduation ceremony, so he asked me to do the blogging today. Grayson was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the end of January, 2016...started chemo immediately which did not shrink the tumor. His parents were advised to go to America (they talk as if they are Aussies, but we are not sure where they are from) for proton therapy and that is how they arrived here. All of the gray-haired prostate patients in the crowd at the luncheon took on a humbled demeanor with a tear in their eye when this little 3 year old's mother told the story of their journey to ProCure and their appreciation of what was done for Grayson the last 8 weeks. With Grayson's mother is his father and his older sister...all pulled from their normal lives to come to a strange country, live in a little hotel suite for 8 weeks and hope. I am not going to complain about our 5.5 hours of windshield time to come back home to our family every weekend ever again. Tonight at the complimentary evening meal that Staybridge Suites so graciously offers three nights during the week and at which time all the cancer patients and their families seem to gravitate together to have a beer and exchange journey stories, I met a 15-year old boy from the UK who will start proton treatment next week. He & his mom came here after two years of chemo did not shrink his brain tumor. There is no proton treatment center in Europe. Happy birthday, America and thank you for being the great nation that you are where excellent medical care is available right here. Now, a little about where we are calling home for the next 8 weeks. Staybridge Suites is located straight down the road from ProCure and many of the ProCure patients stay here...we have come to know why. They provide great accommodations at a fair price, the staff is great and really cater to the needs of these families that come here for treatment. It is located in a very nice area of OKC and shopping, restaurants, etc are in walking distance for those who come here with no car. This has been a blessing to us since we spend a lot of time here. Max is doing well and counting down his treatments to that number zero. Today...37!
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