Every morning, after I greet Roscoe the security guard, and Mary at the front desk, I scan my barcode into this computer. Then I look up at the board that tells me the green gantry is on time. Because I’m one of the first patients in the morning I’ve never seen it running late. Sometimes […]
The Tour: Part Three
Children
You must be perfectly still when the proton beams are targeting your tumor. For some young children, this isn’t easy. The institute has a block of time set aside every day to treat children. This may require an anesthesiologist from the hospital to be in the gantry with the child and the radiation therapists. As […]
Wait
With my meeting with Doctor Bill this week I learned that we will not see the results of my proton therapy treatments until a few weeks after I return home. Then I will have some lab work done that will show the results of the therapy.
The Tour: Part Two
To see a detailed graphical presentation of how a cyclotron works, watch this YouTube video. Watch Video This is a two-hour YouTube video showing the behind-the-scenes workings of the Proton Institute. An institute engineer presents it. Watch This Video Part Three of the tour will be coming soon.
Houston, We ….
As usual, with my medical issues, they always show up on weekends. So, I immediately contacted Mission Control and the doctor advised me that what I was experiencing was not uncommon. Early Monday morning I met with Jacey, one of my care nurses, and he was in contact with Doctor Bill. They both assured me […]
The Tour: Part One
I was provided a behind-the-scenes tour by Christina Marshall, the Business Development Coordinator. Most of the gantry workings are not accessible, however, Christina provided me with some helpful links that enabled me to create material for my blog. The Proton Institute’s workings are very extensive so I will break it down into manageable parts. This […]
Pencil Beam vs Scatter Beam
According to the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute website – “Pencil Beam Proton Therapy, also called pencil beam radiation, is an advanced proton therapy delivery technique with pinpoint precision. This precision makes pencil beam proton therapy ideal for treating complex cancers.” How does Pencil Beam Scanning Work? Pencil beam scanning uses magnets to steer the proton […]
My New Radiation Therapists
Who can smile at 6:30 in the morning? These ladies can. Starting Monday of my second week they will be my radiation therapists in the Green Gantry. This gantry offers Pencil Beam proton therapy as opposed to Scatter Beam that I received last week in the Yellow gantry. Tyler received her training in Wisconsin, and […]
My Dream Team: Dr. Mendenhall
A picture is worth a thousand words. However, if you want to read doctor Mendenhall’s extensive resume then click on the link below. (Recommended) I appreciated his quote when he was asked what he likes about working at the proton institute. I really like taking care of patients and tracking their outcomes to see how […]
Radiation Therapy vs Proton Therapy
I need a reminder to help me tell the difference between traditional radiation therapy and proton therapy so here’s a short video that I captured from the Proton Institute website. My first week of therapy was in the yellow gantry using double scattering technology. Next week I’m in the green gantry which will use pencil […]
Week One Complete
This is Friday and I’ve completed my first week of proton therapy treatments. After listening to some other patients talking in the waiting room it’s my understanding that they discussed their progress in terms of how many sessions they have left. So, I’ve completed five sessions and I have 24 to go. My first week […]
Thursdays Are Special
Yesterday was Wednesday and I signed up for a 4:00 o’clock tour of the proton therapy institute. In this tour they take you behind the scenes and show you all the inner workings of the different gantries that they have. So, my regular appointment yesterday was in the morning, and I came home. (that’s interesting, […]
Part Two
Then I met my oncologist team for the first time. By the way, I failed to mention before that everything is color-coded at the Proton Institute. The doctors wear white, the nurses wear blue, and the oncologist team wear black. Breanna is the radiation technologist that met me. She told me that they want me […]
Day One at the Institute (pt 1)
When I got up this morning it was raining, and my appointment was at 12:30. Before I left for my appointment, I had a message from the Third & Main office that the credit card that I used to pay my rent had been refused. The institute has a gated parking lot right in front […]
On The Road Again
I think that’s the title of a song I received a call from the Proton Institute on Friday and my first appointment time is 12:30 on Monday. The first thing that will happen is I meet with my dream team; after that, I have no idea about the sequence of events. My truck is packed […]
Preparing to Get Underway
Today I heard from Caroline, my care nurse, and she told me that I will receive my treatment appointment times on Friday. My treatments start on Monday, but I don’t know what time. I also heard from Melissa at Third & Main, and my apartment is ready for me. I plan to leave Vero sometime […]
To Be Determined
So, I will be under the proton beam for up to 8 weeks. These are short treatments every day except weekends. My next major decision is to decide whether to come home on the weekends or not. It is over a 3-hour drive from Jacksonville to Vero and I’m not quite sure how I will […]
Looking Ahead
I need to prepare for and move into my temporary residence in Jacksonville starting Sunday, March 12, 2023. On Monday, March 13, at a time yet to be determined I’ll go for a daily proton treatment at the Florida Proton Institute. The institute is about a 5-minute drive from Third & Main and these daily […]
Research
I was asked to participate in a research study. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effects of radiation therapy on my tumor and my quality of life. Currently, over 10,000 patients are enrolled in this University of Florida study. In addition, worldwide, it is estimated that by the end of 2019, […]