9/15 - Milk contains Protons?

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Thursday, September 15, 2005
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Sorry about not doing an issue yesterday. I had the ‘chance’ to do
5 hours of ‘mandatory’ overtime at work, so I took it. Then, I
figured after 11PM my JOTD issue wouldn’t make any sense anyway.
But, I thought about you guys. That counts, doesn’t it?

Yesterday and today were quite productive days for gathering cancer
information. The internet really brings people with similarities
together. There are several groups out there that deal only with
pediatric ependymomas. There is also a user group that deals with
childhood cancers that sends out thousands of emails a month. I
joined and got a lot of questions answered. I got the phone number,
and spoke with a doctor at St. Jude’s children’s research hospital.
He’s supposed to be the world’s most knowledgeable doctor on
treating childhood ependymomas. He also suggested that we do
radiation therapy for son #4.

I’m also learning about new treatments through this group. Someone
mentioned proton radiation therapy. Protons are physical particles
that don’t go as deep into the brain, because they are stopped by
brain matter. Whereas x-ray beams, aren’t made up of particles, but
are rays that go right through the brain. (They intersect several
small beams to meet at one place in the tumor bed to get max
radiation at the one point, without as much going through the rest
of the brain.) Anyway, it’s another option we may have. Here are a
couple of sites about it.

http://www.proton-therapy.org/pr02.htm
http://www.massgeneral.org/cancer/about/providers/radiation/proton/psrt.asp
http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu/treatment/treatment.cfm?c=9
http://www.llu.edu/proton/index.html


Son #4 is now scheduled to have the bone flap put back in next
Wednesday. We’re trying to schedule all of his other ‘have-to-be-
sleeping-for’ procedures done at the same time. Spinal fluid check,
MRI, earwax volume testing, toenail length observations, you know,
the really important things in life.

Anyway, son #4 is really ~really~ getting back to normal. So much
so that we’re getting a little worried that every time he runs
anywhere that he’ll smack or poke his head where the bone is
missing. Plus, he hates his helmet. Every time he stops (which
isn’t often anymore) he’ll take it off and said, “I’m not moving
now!” So, we’re constantly on guard for his head.

At dinner tonight, it was good to get back to some giggles. It’s
been too long. Out of nowhere son #4 said, “Hey dad, do you know
where milk comes from?” I said, “Where??” He said, “From Cows!” I
told him he was wrong and milk comes from milk cartons at the
store. He tired to argue with me, but I spanked him and sent him to
his room. Ok, not really. But then I said, “Where did you hear that
from?” I think that confused him, so he stopped and thought. Then
said, “Oh, I picked it up.” To which son #2 started laughing pretty
hard. Then, son #3 said, “Hey dad, I got to milk a cow yesterday!”
and I said, “How on earth did you do that?” He looked at me, put
his hand in the air, and started squeezing in imaginary udder. That
made son #2 laugh even harder, and we all joined in. (Son #3 went
to a local ‘farm’ with some friends.) Anyway, it was good to get
some good belly laughs in for a chance.

Since son #4’s surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, I’m trying to
get sons #1, #2, and #3 to shave their heads with me on Tuesday
night to ‘support’ son #4. I’m also trying to have my sweet wife
cut her awesomely gorgeous strawberry blonde hair for locks of love
(www.locksoflove.org) but I’m not sure how things will turn out,
but I’ll let you know.

As always...
Enjoy today’s Jokes!
Marty

P.S. Here’s a cool site. It’s the story of Ross Romenesko, he’s the
author of “I had a tumor, it wasn’t a rumor.”
http://www.rossromenesko.org/


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Reader Comment Section:

The Cabela's opening sounds almost as bad as the IKEA opening I
went to a few weeks ago. There was a freeway access ramp that was
partially shut down to accommodate the traffic, with traffic
control and signs on where to go to park, multiple parking lots,
then a 30 minute line to get into the store. (In line, since it was
in the hot Texas sun, they were handing out bottles of water.)
Once you got into the store, there kind of had a path mapped out so
you could see everything in the store, but boy, if you got out of
the line of people following the path to go look at something, it
was like merging into rush hour traffic to get back in!

I hadn't ever been to an IKEA before, and it was a pretty cool
store, but I would recommend not going to a grand opening! There
was a woman in front of me in line who said she'd been to several
IKEA stores before. I asked why she was standing in line to see
this one, and she said she didn't know....... Go figure!
~My #1 Sister

Marty I hope son #4 keeps up his usual mischief and that all goes
well with his treatments. We are praying for you and your family
constantly...
~Anita M.