Me on the gantry

Photos of me on the gantry - click to enlarge

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

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

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

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!

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

Kingsley Plantation

A visit to Kingsley plantation and a coastal drive today
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

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

The fridge beer shelf

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

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

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

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

Moving Day

Today we moved from the the hotel to the apartment
Much more space and facilities

Some apartment pics

Alcoholics anonymous

Back to the proton centre today
A meeting with the social worker and 7 others for a group discussion/chit chat
Some of the people were new to the centre like me and others were starting their first treatment
One was on a second visit for treatment for another area diagnosed with cancer
The meetings are a once month meet actually called "Helping others hope" specifically for non-prostate patients and caregivers
I told my told story so far to the group
Another patient started of his story with the words I AM AN ALCOHOLIC
Hence the title of the blog
Effectively it was like a AA meeting as portrayed on the TV with everyone contributing their story
It was a good way of getting to know everyone in a small friendly environment

Following the group discussion we all went to the "Lunch Bunch" for all proton patients and guests
Approximately 100 or more people
A buffet lunch was laid out, salad chicken etc
One of the staff had a microphone and towards the end called on all the alumni (past patients) to say a few short words of their past experience
Then the people who had just completed their treatment got a chance on the mic followed by the newbies !
I got up and said a few short words of how I got to be at the Proton centre

Finally a lecture was given by one of the staff doctors. The lecture was on cervical cancer
The whole lunch was very interesting as well as a bit surreal !

Me outside the Proton centre (click to enlarge)

We then went back to the hotel to skype the kids.  The twins have had excellent stats results

The hotel laid on a BBQ for all guests.  Very nice.  I will miss this when we move to an apartment

We are mobile

We picked up our rental car today
A Black dodge.  Nothing exciting
What was exciting was Julie doing all the driving in a left hand drive car on the wrong side of the road and its an auto !
We got round safely

Also managed to locate a store that sells sim cards.  Not easy to get in the US.  Gives us a local number as well as unlimited calls, texts, and a decent bit of internet.  Also 1000mins of calls to UK and anyone can call us from the UK at the cost of a local rate call via a special number

Also went to have a look at our "condo" at least the grounds and a look at a show flat
The facilities are amazing http://www.citigatejax.com/
I hope our condo looks as good as the show condo.  Pics to follow
We move in on friday

Tomorrow we are back to the Proton centre for a tour of the facility and a friends and family lunch

P.S
The tour around citigatejax.  A young lady showed us the pool, gym and facilites in the "lodge" then offered to show us one of the show apartments.  She said to jump onto a electric golf buggy parked outside.  She then proceded through the gate to an apartment block less than 50 yards from where we started ! it would have been quicker to walk
I asked if there were any trails or walks nearby.  She said she would show us and drove the buggy over the path through a couple of small lakes/ponds no more than 200yrds and said that was the walk/trail !!!
Amazing !

Proton Centre First Visit

Early start today arriving at the Proton centre @ 7:15am
Checked in and had a round of appointments
Bloods at the general hospital next door
Lots of consent forms and paperwork
Got to see our specialist Dr Malyapa who when over the treatment process
Basically I will need 42 sessions of proton once a day 5 days a week starting 22nd July.  They need the period before to plan exactly where to zap me and for how long and at what power

I had to have a face mask fitted which involved fitting a rubber mould in my mouth which they then shrink wrapped a plastic and kevlar sheet over my face and head this was bolded to a mount
The whole idea is so my head is kept absolutely still during treatment

This is the kind of thing I will wear.  When I can I will upload a pic of my mask
Should be great for halloween

Example of a face mask

Lazy day by the pool

We had a lazy day by the pool today

A rest before my appointments at the Proton centre tomorrow. Have to be there 7:30am

We have been using Skype and facetime and the BT smart talk app to contact home and see the boys

Its just great how all this technology has made the would seem a lot smaller

A meal in our "suite" tonight

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE

Shopping and Pool

There is a shopping centre a mile away from the hotel with a Walmart superstore
We got the courtesy bus from the hotel
Had a wander round the various shops
Not as cheap as we expected

Walmart was huge but in the end disappointing the range of food was surprisingly poor.  Asda in the Uk which is owned by walmat has a much better range of food

Picked up a cheap phone for local usage

Phoned the hotel and they came and picked us up

Afternoon at the pool

My foot and the Pool and the Jacuzzi

In the evening we went to Longhorns steakhouse for a meal to celebrate Julies birthday tomorrow
Had a superb spicy shrimp starter.  Julie had a steak for her main and I had a burger
All cooked very well, great atmosphere, great evening

We are here

Hi everyone
We arrived safely in Jacksonville, Fl
We left home at 6am and the jumbo took off from Heathrow a little late at around 11:45
Flew to Miami about 8/9 hrs.  I watched 3 films
Then a few hrs wait and a little plane to Jacksonville 1hr flight time
Julie was amazingly OK with the flights.  The hypnotherapy and pills did their job
The planes had poor leg room and we were glad to arrive and be off them

We were picked up by a cab and dropped of at the hotel
The hotel is OK
We went out for a meal at Ruby Tuesdays - Very nice meal

Then to bed at 3am UK time !