Loma Linda Here I Come!

Loma Linda, Here I Come!

Okay, it's time to speed things up a bit to get this blog on track. It's the 23rd of June and I'm sitting here in Free Bird waiting to go to my first treatment at noon.

Two weeks ago I arrived at Loma Linda for the first time. Jeanette and I decided to take the RV to California and get things set up for the treatments and to see where I will be living for the next two months. We decided to make it a small vacation at the same time.

We arrived in Grand Terrace, California on Saturday the 7th of June. We got settled in at the Terrace Village RV Park which is about three miles from Loma Linda. The park is small and kind of tight but clean and quite. The management are all very friendly and helpful.

We also took a trip to Universal Studios and spent the whole day there. Great place and lot's of fun!



My home for the next two months.












The Hood














Having a little fun with Matt Damian at Universal Studios














Sarge eat your heart out! (Sarge is my gay cat by the way)













I was scheduled for two appointments on the 10th and the 11th of June. The first one was my initial consultation with the Doctor who will be monitoring my treatment while here at LLUMC. I met Dr. Rossi and his nurse Sharon for the first time. They are both wonderful people and everybody here at LLUMC seem to operate like a well oiled machine.

My first visit to the proton treatment center was a reality check for me. I entered the reception area and saw several people with different types and stages of cancer. There were women with no hair, people in wheel chairs, and ordinary men that seemed perfectly healthy.

One couple in particular stood out from all the rest. They appeared to be a husband and wife in their fifties. The wife had her head on her husband's shoulder and she appeared to be sound asleep. I was thinking the husband was there awaiting treatment for prostate cancer and his wife was there by his side patiently waiting his turn. Well, I was wrong. A nurse came in and called their name. The husband stood up, he gently helped his very sick wife stand up and slowly walk toward the back area. She was so sick, she could barely walk. This is something I have not seen before in my life, a room full of people with cancer. People that were a lot sicker then I. I felt so sad for his poor woman. I wondered, what kind of cancer did she have.


In the months I spent waiting for this day I kind of put the fact I had cancer in the back of my head. Sure there wasn't a day I didn't think about it, but today reality struck. I have cancer! I'm another statistic!

The next appointment was the preplanning. This is where they make your pod. The pod is a big PVC pipe cut in half. They have you lay inside while they pour a substance around you that dries and forms around your body. This is to keep you immobilized while they zap you with the proton beam.

After the pod is made they take a CT scan of your prostate area while you are in the pod. In order to keep your bladder away from the treatment area, you need to have a full bladder. Then they insert a balloon up your rectum and fill it with water. This aids in keeping everything out of the way while they zap your prostate. This is a very important step in keeping you from being incontinent after treatment.

LLUMC












This is where I will leave my cancer behind.









Finally caught up!

Well, I'm finally caught up!

I woke up this morning for my first treatment. Ironically, Loma Linda had an earthquake at about 7:15 AM. My wife and I heard a noise about that time but did not realize it was an earthquake until I turned the TV on and saw it on the news. Luckily it was only a 4.0. I think it was a subtle reminder from God to Loma Linda that they better take care of me or else. Ha!Ha!

My appointment is at Noon and my nurse told me to arrive at 11:30 with a full bladder. So I start drinking water at about 10:30. Now keep in mind I had already finished two cups of coffee and a glass of juice about an hour before. Let's say my bladder was full.

I arrive on B level and check in. I got to pee but I can hold it, no problem. Everything seems to be on time and there aren't a lot of people sitting around waiting, which is a good sign. I have been assigned to the HBL crew. The HBL is a horizontal beam that is different from the other gantry type beams.

My wife and I are sitting in the waiting room watching through the glass windows behind us as technicians move pods on carts from one room to the other. My wife and I laughed because it looked like something out of the movie "Cocoon."

Okay, we have been waiting for about thirty minutes now and I really have to pee BAAAAD! So I went up to the receptionist and asked her how much longer it would be, and tell her in my best Forest Gump imitation, "I got to go pee." She gives them a call and tells me that I could go ahead and pee some, then drink more water. I'm thinking to myself, how in the heck am I going to pee some. A woman can cut it off in midstream but I don't think a man can. So I go to the can and try it. Oh god it felt so good I didn't want to stop! Okay here it goes! Well guys, let me tell you, it's hard to stop in midstream but it can be done.

I go back out to the waiting room and sit down beside my wife. I'm partially relieved now so I take a few swallows of water like the receptionist told me to do. Hey I'm just following instructions. That's the military in me. Big mistake!

About fifteen minutes later I'm greeted by Jose. Thank God! I'm up! Jose leads me to the dressing room where I change into my hospital gown. I'm then led into the room where I will receive the powerful proton beam. I'm greeted by Phillip who shows me to my pod like a chauffeur opening the door to my limousine. Phillip explains to me all the high tech stuff that will be done. I'm trying to concentrate but all I can think of right now is, I got to go pee. Let's get this show on the road so I can get to the restroom!

Another technician is in the room and her name is Jan, Jan explains the process of how they will make sure I'm properly positioned, and prior to ordering the beam they will page the Doctor,who will then double check the positioning. Again all I can think of right now is, well you know.

I then tell Phillip that I have to pee real bad. He tells me that it will be at least another ten minutes and if I can't hold it any longer to let him know. I said okay. About a minute later, I tell Phillip, I can't hold it any longer. Jan brings me a urinal and I partially empty my bladder. Oh God that feels better!.

The positioning is checked and double checked and they order the beam. All the Technicians leave the room and I hear what sounds like a door on a missile silo being shut. I then hear the sound of the accelerator spinning followed by several beeps. The beeps I'm told is the Geiger counter. I've been exposed to radiation in the military while working on Nukes but this is ridiculous!

On the wall above me there are several family photos taped up from other patients for motivation and inspiration. I'm looking at the photos and thinking, Dang! I got to pee! Seriously though, in between concentrating on holding my pee, I thought of my Father, and wished that he could have had treatment like this when he had his cancer. The whole proton beam treatment took about two minutes and Phillip came out from the bomb shelter and told me I was done. I said Good!, where's the restroom! I carefully got out of my pod without peeing myself and briskly followed Phillip to the restroom. And the rest is History! 45 more to go!

HBL, My Pod Awaits













Two thumbs up! I got my Jeep hat on and ready to go!












Locked and Loaded and ready to Rock!