Week 9: Nov. 15-Nov. 21
Once again we started the day off Sunday by attending the early service at Trinity Church where we have really felt at home. Later that morning we had the privilege of attending the annual “BOB Brunch” held here at LLUMC. Bob Marckini hosted the morning’s activities which included messages from past proton patients and LLUMC dignitaries. Dr. Jerry Slater (Chair, Radiation Medicine) presented some of the exciting developments with protons and Dr. Richard Hart (president of the university) likewise with the medical school. Dr. Slater’s father, Dr. James Slater, pioneered proton beam therapy at Loma Linda. This was another one of those reminders of being in the right place at the right time.
Saying good-bye to new friends was a theme that unfolded this week. Each week a number of people “graduate” from their treatment, but now is the time we are beginning to bid adieu to those who started their treatment close to when we did ours. I am down to eight to go after Friday’s treatment and then I will have my turn at graduating.
A surprise friendship that developed while we were here was with the young mother with a brain tumor we mentioned in an earlier post—a surprise in the fact that all of our other friendships have come from the ranks of the prostate cancer patients. There are not many patients here in the proton program with a “zero” PSA. Well, Mary is one of them. We enjoyed a hike with her husband, Brian, Tuesday afternoon as well as a couple of meals with them during the rest of the week. The last we heard they were heading down the old Route 66 on their way home to Nebraska.
Friendships are not necessarily part of the cure, but they are part of the healing process. The protons and the staff here at LLUMC are taking care of the cure; relationships provide venues for healing to take place. We are thankful for friends new and old that have shared in this experience and enriched out lives throughout our stay.
Once again we started the day off Sunday by attending the early service at Trinity Church where we have really felt at home. Later that morning we had the privilege of attending the annual “BOB Brunch” held here at LLUMC. Bob Marckini hosted the morning’s activities which included messages from past proton patients and LLUMC dignitaries. Dr. Jerry Slater (Chair, Radiation Medicine) presented some of the exciting developments with protons and Dr. Richard Hart (president of the university) likewise with the medical school. Dr. Slater’s father, Dr. James Slater, pioneered proton beam therapy at Loma Linda. This was another one of those reminders of being in the right place at the right time.
Saying good-bye to new friends was a theme that unfolded this week. Each week a number of people “graduate” from their treatment, but now is the time we are beginning to bid adieu to those who started their treatment close to when we did ours. I am down to eight to go after Friday’s treatment and then I will have my turn at graduating.
A surprise friendship that developed while we were here was with the young mother with a brain tumor we mentioned in an earlier post—a surprise in the fact that all of our other friendships have come from the ranks of the prostate cancer patients. There are not many patients here in the proton program with a “zero” PSA. Well, Mary is one of them. We enjoyed a hike with her husband, Brian, Tuesday afternoon as well as a couple of meals with them during the rest of the week. The last we heard they were heading down the old Route 66 on their way home to Nebraska.Friendships are not necessarily part of the cure, but they are part of the healing process. The protons and the staff here at LLUMC are taking care of the cure; relationships provide venues for healing to take place. We are thankful for friends new and old that have shared in this experience and enriched out lives throughout our stay.
Saturdays typically provide us with the opportunity for new experiences. This time it was an outing to downtown Riverside and a visit to the Mission Inn which is a national historic landmark hotel and spa. After Thanksgiving begins their festival of lights in celebration of the Christmas season so we anticipate another visit there before we leave. Saturday evening we took advantage of our proton discount and enjoyed another performance by the San Bernardino Symphony. This time Robert Schumann’s finale symphonic work was featured along with the talents of young piano virtuoso Kyle Shafiee.
No comments:
Post a Comment