Went to the cinema today to see Pacific Rim
Amazing sound and visuals - crap acting
Imax 3d screen made it worthwhile
http://www.amctheatres.com/movies/pacific-rim
Monday 29 July 2013
Sunday 28 July 2013
Alligators and Crocs
Visited the St Augustine Alligator farm. Hundreds of Alligators and all 23 species of crocodile to be seen
Click on image to enlarge
Click on image to enlarge
 |
| The baby Alligators - Aahh |
 |
| The Albino |
 |
| Don't mess with me |
 |
| Don't mess with us |
 |
| Join us for a swim ? |
Saturday 27 July 2013
Week 1...... Done
The first week of treatment over. Only 7 and a half to go !
Been feeling reasonably OK
After a few days started getting a "nervous" feeling in my stomach which is unlike me
Have now realised its more of a slightly feeling sick in the stomach but not a full on feeling sick. Difficult to describe really
Anyway a sickness feeling is one of the possible side effects so will let the Dr know on monday - I'm sure there will be a pill for it
Also on thursday night my throat seem to "close up" at times when chatting for long time. The Dr had a look and saw no issues - have put it down to the dryness of air con so have taken to have lots of sips of water when indoors
Been feeling reasonably OK
After a few days started getting a "nervous" feeling in my stomach which is unlike me
Have now realised its more of a slightly feeling sick in the stomach but not a full on feeling sick. Difficult to describe really
Anyway a sickness feeling is one of the possible side effects so will let the Dr know on monday - I'm sure there will be a pill for it
Also on thursday night my throat seem to "close up" at times when chatting for long time. The Dr had a look and saw no issues - have put it down to the dryness of air con so have taken to have lots of sips of water when indoors
Thursday 25 July 2013
Me on the gantry
 |
| Lying down on the gantry |
 |
| Mask fitting |
 |
| Spun 180 degrees and in the heart of the machine |
 |
| Proton nozzle at the ready |
 |
| Areas to be zapped marked out |
Tuesday 23 July 2013
What's it like
Its very difficult to explain the experience. There was a feeling of claustrophobia due to having to lie very still on a solid bed/gantry with the inability to move your head
Once on the gantry it spun around 180 degrees to put me in the heart of the machine
Two motorised x ray arms come out of the back of the gantry. These were used to ensure the correct positioning before the proton beam was transmitted
There is music playing in the background (they have a satellite radio and you can choose your own station) along with muffled voices of the technicians organising the treatment
This all added to the surreal experience
The x ray arms were retracted and the proton nozzle whirred into place
The bronze aperture and plastic compensator are loaded onto the proton nozzle
They then rang a bell and left the treatment room for the proton zap to take place
I counted approximately 90 to 120 seconds. I heard an kind of winding up sound and then a winding down sound. Very difficult to explain to sound as its very quite. Almost lost in the background hum and music playing
Within this period the proton is released for approximately 20 seconds to 60 seconds, it varies.
The technicians come back in and change the nozzle position they also change the bronze aperture and corresponding compensator for the next area to be zapped
I have 6 bronze apertures and 6 corresponding compensators. These are pics of a couple
Click to enlarge
Once on the gantry it spun around 180 degrees to put me in the heart of the machine
Two motorised x ray arms come out of the back of the gantry. These were used to ensure the correct positioning before the proton beam was transmitted
There is music playing in the background (they have a satellite radio and you can choose your own station) along with muffled voices of the technicians organising the treatment
This all added to the surreal experience
The x ray arms were retracted and the proton nozzle whirred into place
The bronze aperture and plastic compensator are loaded onto the proton nozzle
They then rang a bell and left the treatment room for the proton zap to take place
I counted approximately 90 to 120 seconds. I heard an kind of winding up sound and then a winding down sound. Very difficult to explain to sound as its very quite. Almost lost in the background hum and music playing
Within this period the proton is released for approximately 20 seconds to 60 seconds, it varies.
The technicians come back in and change the nozzle position they also change the bronze aperture and corresponding compensator for the next area to be zapped
I have 6 bronze apertures and 6 corresponding compensators. These are pics of a couple
Click to enlarge
 |
| One of the bronze apertures shaped to the tumor area to be zapped |
 |
| A close up of the aperture - see me on the gantry behind |
 |
| The compensator |
 |
| Compensator ridges - vary the power of the proton to surrounding tissue |
Monday 22 July 2013
First Proton Treatment
Today was the first of my 42 visits to the UFPT for my Proton beam treatment
I saw the doctor first who showed me the images of my head and the area they were going to zap
At about 1pm I went to the treatment room
There are 3 treatment rooms. In the treatment room there is a gantry. On the gantry is solid plank made of kevlar which is where you lie on before being put in the machine
I am in the red gantry room
This link gives a good 360 degree view of the treatment room http://www.floridaproton.org/sites/default/files/vofimgs/Treatment_Room.mov
Use your arrow keys or mouse to move the image around. Takes a while to load
You lie down on this kevlar plank. The only cushioning is single cotton sheet
My head rested in a cradle. The mask was fitted and clipped to the cradle
A foam rest was laid under my knees for a bit of comfort
As it was my first treatment there were loads of people checking and marking the areas on my mask that the proton nozzle aligned with. These were the areas I was to be zapped
I had a total of 6 zaps at different points around my head
As it was the first sitting I was there for over an hour in the machine
Afterwards I felt a little traumatised. A bit of after shock for a few hours after the treatment
I will try and explain how it all felt once I can!
I saw the doctor first who showed me the images of my head and the area they were going to zap
At about 1pm I went to the treatment room
I am in the red gantry room
This link gives a good 360 degree view of the treatment room http://www.floridaproton.org/sites/default/files/vofimgs/Treatment_Room.mov
Use your arrow keys or mouse to move the image around. Takes a while to load
You lie down on this kevlar plank. The only cushioning is single cotton sheet
My head rested in a cradle. The mask was fitted and clipped to the cradle
A foam rest was laid under my knees for a bit of comfort
As it was my first treatment there were loads of people checking and marking the areas on my mask that the proton nozzle aligned with. These were the areas I was to be zapped
I had a total of 6 zaps at different points around my head
As it was the first sitting I was there for over an hour in the machine
Afterwards I felt a little traumatised. A bit of after shock for a few hours after the treatment
I will try and explain how it all felt once I can!
Me in space
Click image to enlarge
 |
| First stop at the International Space Station |
 |
| Then on to the Moon for a walkabout |
 |
| Finally a walkabout on mars..........Quite a busy day |
Saturday 20 July 2013
Kingsley Plantation
A visit to Kingsley plantation and a coastal drive today
Click the link above for more info. Click the image to enlarge
Click the link above for more info. Click the image to enlarge
 |
| Main House |
 |
| View from the house |
 |
| House rear Veranda. Shelter from the afternoon thunderstorm |
 |
| Julie by the slave quarters ruins |
Thursday 18 July 2013
NASA
Click on image to enlarge
 |
| A Bloody Big Rocket |
 |
| Alan Shepard's walking on the moon suit |
 |
| Atlantis Shuttle |
The Fridge
Did very little today
Watched a bit of TV
A bit of clothes shopping and lounged around the apartment
Off to The Kennedy space centre tomorrow
Off to The Kennedy space centre tomorrow
 |
| The fridge beer shelf |
Tuesday 16 July 2013
Proton centre tour
A little pool time some shopping and a tour of the Proton centre
As I have mentioned previously they take 2 week to formulate the plan before they start treatment. We found out a few more details and saw the proton treatment rooms for the first time
They have to manufacture 2 other bits for the beam machine as well as the mask
One a brass beam size aperture and a plastic lens which allows different strengths of beam through
These pics are an example of the dies used
As I have mentioned previously they take 2 week to formulate the plan before they start treatment. We found out a few more details and saw the proton treatment rooms for the first time
They have to manufacture 2 other bits for the beam machine as well as the mask
One a brass beam size aperture and a plastic lens which allows different strengths of beam through
These pics are an example of the dies used
 |
| Customized dose-shaping devices used for proton beam therapy. A brass aperture shaped to the outline of a target blocks the proton beam outside a specified safety margin. The penetration depth of the protons that pass through the aperture opening is adjusted to match the shape of the target with a Lucite range compensator. A target is depicted in red in the rightmost figure with the proton radiation dose conforming to its shape and avoiding a critical structure shown in green |
St Augustine
Spent the day in St Augustine
The oldest continuously occupied port and town in the USA
A very nice place. Extremely touristy
A couple of pics of the area
Click on them to enlarge
The oldest continuously occupied port and town in the USA
A very nice place. Extremely touristy
A couple of pics of the area
Click on them to enlarge
Monday 15 July 2013
Fused
I managed to blow the fuses in both of our US plug adapters so had to go to the Radio Shack to buy some replacments
Our apartment is only a mile or so away from a huge shopping centre called St johns mall
We had a look around a few other shops while we were there
I popped into a Staples - The shop layout and design is identical to the ones we have in the UK
Had lunch in the apartment and a afternoon swim
In the evening we were picked up and taken on a tour of the beach area and a lovely meal
One of Julie's work colleagues used to live next to a family who were working in Cambridge around 20 years ago. They kept in touch over the years and the couple retired to Jacksonville. Hence we met through these mutual friends
We plan on a trip to St. Augustine monday. The oldest settlement/port in the USA
Our apartment is only a mile or so away from a huge shopping centre called St johns mall
We had a look around a few other shops while we were there
I popped into a Staples - The shop layout and design is identical to the ones we have in the UK
Had lunch in the apartment and a afternoon swim
In the evening we were picked up and taken on a tour of the beach area and a lovely meal
One of Julie's work colleagues used to live next to a family who were working in Cambridge around 20 years ago. They kept in touch over the years and the couple retired to Jacksonville. Hence we met through these mutual friends
We plan on a trip to St. Augustine monday. The oldest settlement/port in the USA
Sunday 14 July 2013
More Condo pics
Click on the Photos to see a larger version
 |
| A lunchtime thunderstorm |
 |
| The Pool Area |
 |
| The Pool Area |
 |
| The Pool Area |
 |
| The Pool Area |
 |
| The local wildlife |
 |
| View of the lake from the pool |
 |
| View towards the pool |
 |
| View towards the pool |
 |
| View towards the pool |
 |
| View towards the pool |
 |
| Me looking at the view to the pool |
Saturday 13 July 2013
Moving Day
Today we moved from the the hotel to the apartment
Much more space and facilities
Some apartment pics
Much more space and facilities
Some apartment pics
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)