I traveled with my friend (Al Sanders, a proton alumni of Loma Linda 2006) to Warrenville, Illinois on March 11th to tour the newest proton center at Central Dupage Proton Center. ProCure built the facility and they are currently pursuing the building of facilities in New Jersey and Washington state.
Steve Tompkins, Director of Clinical Partnerships, greeted us at the front door and invited us to tour the facility. It is very inviting to patients coming there for treatment. It doesn't even look like a place that would conger up feeling of fear or apprehension. They have made good use of the natural sunlight and it is very welcoming.
Because of patients being treated that morning, we were only able to view the fixed beam room. In that particular room sat a gurney with an anesthesia outfit on one end of it. Steve explained that it was used for young children to allow for them to remain still for the treatment. He told us a story of a mother who asked her son what he would tell one of his friends if they had to go to the center for treatment. He said that he would tell them that his mommy plays with him in the toy room, he gets tired and takes a nap; then wakes up and plays some more and then goes home. That's a pretty good experience for a kid being treated for cancer, isn't it? What he doesn't know is that after he gets tired in the toy room, they put him on the gurney and put him under, treat him, and return him to the toy room before he wakes up. I think that is pretty amazing.
They are doing great work there in Warrenville and many people will be helped as the years go by.
Have a good Wednesday.
Blessings,
Rick
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)