Ringing the bell

The second half of my radiation treatment has been nothing short of a roller coaster! I routinely ran into patients of all ages, waiting to receive their treatment at the Proton center. However, the day I saw a toddler in a diaper on his way to radiation, I completely broke down. I just sat down in the lobby, unable to control my emotions. Ian from the front desk came and sat next to me, held my hand, and just let me vent. I talked about how gut-wrenching it was to see that toddler go through so much pain. I cried about how unfair it all seemed. I wondered out loud what that little boy's life would be like. Ian let me talk and cry, and, when I went quiet, he gently shared his thoughts. He told me that, as hard as he too finds young children going through radiation, he takes comfort in the fact that these kids are getting the best treatment possible. He mentioned how they often get letters from the children's families, two, three Christmases later, letting them know how well ...