Saturday, October 31, 2009

Off Ramp: Loma Linda Week 6


Week 6: Oct. 25 - Oct. 31

Almost halfway there … at week's ends I am about halfway through the treatments. Next Monday is “hump day” and we will begin the home stretch. The daily treatment schedule pretty much goes on with little in the way to report. The treatment is exactly the same every day with the same proton dosage being administered. The only difference is the left side is done one day and the right side the next. The actual treatment time lasts about a minute and a half with 45 total sessions in the Gantry. So I guess it is safe to say the cancer curing process here takes only a little over an hour (1.5 x 45 = 67.5 minutes). The tech team in Gantry 3 is great. They are easy to get along with and very accommodating. The only time I see the doctor is every Thursday around 11:30 AM. Each time we see him he reassures us that all is going along per plan.

This was a week of “firsts” for us down here in beautiful Loma Linda. About mid-week the temperature actually pushed down to the chilly end of the thermometer. The winds picked up and the jackets came out. Wednesday was the first time I wore jeans. Up till now it has been all shorts weather. Wednesday night was the first night we used the heater in the Toyota; Thursday morning the gas heater kicked in for the first time; and we moved Boot Camp indoors for once. But not to worry … it is heading back up into the mid 80’s by the end of the week. The hummingbirds, sparrows and finches are still frequenting our feeders. We hear the constant reminders from the helicopters taking off and landing at the hospital that help is on the way.

There was a full slate of activities at LLUMC as the school of medicine celebrates its centennial this week. Friday night we joined in the celebration by attending an evening with Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass and enjoying a challenging message from Lee Strobel. We were also reminded of the mission of the school and medical center “to continue the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus Christ, ‘to make man whole.’”

Saturday morning we decided to continue in our participation of the centennial celebration by attending the Loma Linda University Church’s worship service. Were we in for a treat (without any of the tricks, of course). We were blessed by the music and the message beyond measure. A full orchestra and chorus consisting of current students and alumni contributed joyously and skillfully to the worship. Pastor Randy Roberts presented the truth of God’s word with the exhortation to embrace the vision of Christ in preaching, teaching and healing in our daily walk. Later in the afternoon we ventured back to the church to attend a service commemorating the legacy of Baby Fae. It was 25 years ago that her battle for life gripped the attention of the nation. Words cannot express the emotion and hope that filled the auditorium.

On a side note, as we look back at the “coincidences” we have encountered along the way a couple from Saturday stand out. At the Saturday morning worship service in a packed out auditorium we ended up sitting next to the nurse for the head of the proton department at the medical center. Following the service I shared my revelation regarding the actual treatment time for proton therapy in a small group. One of the former deans of the medical school chimed in that "we should to get that in next year's program." That afternoon, in an equally packed house, we sat next to a urologist who graduated from the medical school in the 60’s. He was very encouraging regarding our choice of proton treatment. It seems with each day we get a reminder or two that we are at “the right place at the right time.”





1 comment:

  1. Avery's eyes widened yesterday when I told her we'd see you in about one month. It's just within reach! Thanks for the great updates. It sounds like Loma Linda does an amazing job of embracing the concept of whole-person healing and growth.

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