Why not Rome?

When we moved from Richmond, Virginia, to Rome, Georgia, we sent out email updates to family and friends telling them that we were going to work with WinShape Foundation, and that we would be living in Rome. Many of them wrote back and asked if we would have to learn Italian! For the past 40 years we have lived in many exotic places, so they assumed we meant Rome, Italy. We really enjoy living in Rome, Georgia. It is close enough to Atlanta and Chattanooga, but we can still live in a small town with good  colleges and great medical facilities. So, why would we come to Jacksonville, Florida, to seek medical treatment?

Yesterday I attended my first BOB meeting—that’s Brotherhood of the Balloon. It is a support group for prostate cancer patients to get together twice a month at the institute just to discuss challenges that they might be experiencing and to affirm one another during the treatment. The leader asked us (about 40 men) to hold up our hand if our urologist recommended proton therapy treatment for us. Only one hand went up. Not surprising when you think about it. Urologists are trained to do surgery. That is what they do for a living. We have a new cancer center in Rome, Georgia, and it has state of the art radiation equipment and skilled technicians. I could have stayed in Rome and had excellent radiation treatment. Why did I come to Jacksonville for my treatment?

We researched other options that would give me a better quality of life after the treatments, and that would have the least side effects. After a lot of prayer, talking with prostate cancer survivors, and our own research, we decided that proton therapy was the best treatment for me. There are only nine centers in the USA that offer proton therapy and the closest one was in Jacksonville. We also met several people who had been treated in the Jacksonville facility, and finally the Lord confirmed that was the place for me to be treated.

We have not been disappointed. Chip Pohl summed it up well when he said the staff at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute is so much like our team members at our Chick-fil-A restaurants that it is like getting cancer treatment at a Chick-fil-A! We are grateful for this opportunity to be here in Jacksonville for this treatment. Thank you, Lord.

Water

During my initial four day visit to the Proton Therapy Institute, I received several instructions to prepare me for these treatments. These were related to diet, lab work, restricted medications and water. Diet changes were easy—give up gas-forming foods—and the lab work was routine. However, drinking 10-12 cups of water a day was a challenge. My beloved hot tea does not count. Those of you who know me well will be surprised that I only drink one cup of tea each day now. I am drinking water!

Before every treatment I have to drink three cups of water 45 minutes before the treatment. This is not a suggestion; it is demanded for each treatment because this water fills my bladder to move it out of the path of the radiation. In this case water serves a specific purpose that we would not think of in our list of things to do with water.

In our culture we generally don’t even think about water, much less any different function that it may have. The fact is that we take water for granted. We open the tap and water flows abundantly. Our drinking water is pure. We waste water, and we live like our source of water will never end.

In West Africa where we worked for years water was the most precious commodity, and it was the dream of every family to have clean drinking water. I have a very clear image of seeing people in Burkina Faso praising God when the first water was drawn out of a new well. They are simple people living in a very simple world, but they fully understand that water is life.

  Give thanks for the things that we take for granted.

Gratitude

When Cheryl and I first learned that I had cancer, we were, as most people would be, shocked. I did not experience the “why me” feelings that I have often heard about. I think part of the reason is that I have already had an experience of “why not me.” Jason was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2000. That was devastating news, and I struggled with the fact that our son had cancer at the age of 27. I often asked God, “why not me?” I wanted to take this cancer from his body and put it in mine. Of course, that is childish thinking, but it was the gut feeling that I had.

After our initial shock we became grateful. That might sound strange, but our first season of gratefulness was because our family doctor insisted that I see a urologist even though my PSA was in the normal range. Then we were grateful for early detection as we were diagnosed with stage one prostate cancer. As we reviewed treatment options we were grateful for having options and the fact that with this stage of prostate cancer, we could choose the type of treatment that we thought was best for us. As we were researching, I was introduced by some friends to a treatment that we had never heard of before—proton therapy. I am grateful for friends. I am so very thankful for friends like those of you who are reading this. On Sunday one of my two best friends from college died. Life is precious, and I am grateful for every day that the Lord gives me to live on this earth.

Treatment 3 went well last night, and I am scheduled for #4 at 9pm tonight. Thanks for your support.

Weekend

With no treatments on Saturday and Sunday it seems a long time between my Friday night treatment and the next one tonight at 7pm. My appointment was actually at 10pm, but I just received a call asking me to come at 7pm since they were ahead of schedule. What happens is the therapists take the appointments that are the latest at night and work them into an earlier slot so they can go home earlier. Who could blame them for wanting to finish earlier?! The challenge is that we cannot plan anything for the evenings as they can call at the last minute and ask you to come in. We don’t have a problem with schedule changes because we are here for the treatments.

We worshipped at First Baptist Jacksonville yesterday. Our friends, George and Sharon Kemp, hosted us at their church. Mac Brunson is an awesome preacher. It was good to reconnect with him and Debbie. We really enjoyed the great music experience, also.

I finally went to the beach this weekend. Cheryl has been walking on the beach since we have been here, but I am not as excited about sand as she is. Through the years we have lived on the beach on both sides of the Atlantic, and we lived at both the southern and northern edges of the Sahara, so I have had my fill of sand. However, I do enjoy walking with Cheryl and I even help her look for shells.

Today I read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. How many times have I read that story! We know the story and the applications, like Jesus uses what we give Him and that He wants to multiply our gifts to feed the crowds around us every day. Isn’t it interesting how the Spirit points out things to you that you have not seen before? You are reading the same verses, but all of a sudden they have new significance for you. Mark 6:41 spoke to me today: “And he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them…” Jesus took the bread and fish, thanked God, and broke them into pieces. Here’s what hooked me: a whole loaf of bread could not multiply itself. The bread was only available for the people after Jesus broke it. Only broken bread can be multiplied. Lord, forgive me of waiting on You to use me when I am not first willing to be broken.

Proton Technology

My appointment was originally at 9:20 last night, but the institute called mid-afternoon to say that they were running ahead of schedule and wanted me to come for a 7:25 pm treatment. As I was entering the gantry (treatment room), one of the therapists said there would be a delay as they had a problem with the X-ray machine. This proton therapy is a complicated process. I have done extensive research on this and I am still trying to figure it all out. The therapists take an X-ray before each treatment to help align the machine for the treatment.

In the meantime, I asked if Cheryl could come back to see the machine, and they agreed to bring her in. Ordinarily they are so busy pumping patients through (from 6:30 am-11:30pm) that they do not allow spouses to come into the gantry. We had a treat as one of the therapists spent 20 minutes explaining the process to us with a backstage tour. It really helped Cheryl to have a better understanding of the treatment. The therapist used my phone to take a couple photos and I am attaching one to this post. The photo does not do justice to the massiveness of the gantry, but you will get an idea of how the $1.5 million table extends into the core of the machine. The device rotates around the table and unless you focus on something outside the machine you get the sensation that you are weightless and in suspension—you are not strapped down and it feels like you are being turned over in midair. This is difficult to explain!

However, I am indeed grateful for this technology that is being used to rid my body of these cancer cells. Thank you, Lord, for giving intelligence to many people who have worked to develop this technology.

1 of 28

Our first visit today at the Proton Therapy Institute was with Keri, my nurse case manager, followed by a visit with Dr. Hoppe, my radiation oncologist. I will have a weekly visit with these two people during my treatment plan. Dr. Hoppe reviewed the treatment that he has prescribed for me using bone scan images of the pelvic region. The science is so precise that they can predict the area that will receive 100% radiation and the scope of the area that will receive no radiation. The objective, of course, is to radiate the cancer cells while doing minimum damage to the vital body parts around the prostate gland. My first treatment was at 1:30pm, and it took much longer this first time as they had to adjust the gigantic machine to properly perform its function (more on that at a later date). The radiation therapists play some music of the patient's choice during the treatments, and I chose bluegrass. It was a little difficult to concentrate on the music as one of the therapists prepared me for the "ballon" that stabilizes the rectum during the zapping. That is not easily described on a public blog, but let's just say there is no modesty in these treatments! The therapists leave the gantry during the short period of radiation, and I don't actully know when the 40 seconds of radiation enter my body. Interestingly enough, I could not feel the radiation entering my body, but I most definitely felt the presence of the Lord during this time. I was reassured that this body is not mine, but it belongs to the Father. My job is to be a good steward of this body and use it for His glory. The prayers of so many family and friends who are supporting me during this time enabled me to experience JOY during this first treatment. Thank you for walking alongside me. Treatment 1 down---27 to go!

Arrival in Jacksonville

We arrived in Jacksonville late this afternoon. This evening we have been grocery shopping and getting our "nest" set up. We are grateful to friends for allowing us to use their beach house in Jacksonville Beach. We are about 30 minutes from the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute where Larry will have treatments once a day Monday through Friday. Larry's appointment tomorrow is at 10:30 since he has to have a consultation with the nurse who is his case manager and with his radiation oncologist before the first treatment. We are expecting to get a regular appointment at night for the first week or two since Larry is a "rookie" and they get all the less desirable appointment times.