A Rad Afternoon

So we spent our first afternoon at the Burr Proton Therapy Center at MGH for Orion's first of thirty exposures to protons and X-Rays.

We drove in, a hundred miles, without a hitch and then were sent off for blood work, then Orion signed up to be one of forty-five participants in a study of short term and long term effects of proton radiation for the rest of his life.

Our wonderful pediatric oncologist Dr. David Ebb found us down in the waiting room and took us off for a private exam of Orion's formerly feverish feet and to bring Orion up to speed on the prospects of the Boston Bruins. Orion said, uh? Say what?

Ebb was scandalized that radiation used the pediatric group for the blood work and said "no way back up to oncology for the duration". Then Orion was hauled off for his first session. This was much longer as the first time since they had to adjust him and the 250 ton cyclotron and its ports to deliver the proton beam into his spine.

He emerged an hour later all smiles, no nausea, no burning, no marks other than these pictured. We do this for another twenty-nine times so he and I are settling in.