 It's nearly Christmas you won't want to spend time to reading a long ProtonPals letter from me. It's time to travel to your family and friends or in my case to Hobby and Intercontinental airports to meet your children and their children flying in from both coasts. We've got a couple of cooking projects taken from the pages of my new Cook's Country cookbook that we're going to take up tomorrow morning. Anyone taste my "Tres Leches" desert a week ago?
We've seen some changes to the staff at the Proton Center. Dr. Andrew Lee, radiation oncologist to many of you, has been promoted to Professor A.K. Lee, M.D. congratulations on a well deserved recognition and thanks for the extraordinary work you do. More recently the current Medical Director, Anita Mahajan, MD assumed the position of Director of International Development and Steven J. Frank is now the Medical Director of the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center along with being Director of Advanced Technologies. Sadly, a week ago, we had to bid goodbye to Nurse Manager Carolyn Alsen who we will miss greatly. She was a wonderful nurse and friend to all especially the pediatric patients where she did double duty as recovery nurse at times on nights and to the ProtonPals who she aided in many ways. We'll miss you.
I received several Christmas letters all expressing their gratitude for the information the ProtonPals provide and I've chosen some paragraphs from two of them.
Here's the closing paragraph from our friends Bob and Lina Youngward from St. Paul Minnesota. We wrote about Bob three years ago when he was a patient here in 2011.
"It is almost three years since our fantastic treatment in Houston. I can report I am cured and have very low PSA numbers (0.2). I do question the recommendation of six months of Lupron hormone treatment. It has had lasting consequences.
On a brighter note, I also had a hip replacement in April 2012 which has been another wonderful miracle. For a number of reasons, I did not ski in, 2011, or 2012. However, today I skied our local "mountain" (330' vertical) with my precious 12 year old grand daughter, Alicia and had a wonderful time. During this first time skiing with my new hip, it performed just fine and painlessly. Our Minnesota December this year has been abnormally cold. Today was cloudy and a bit chilly at 18 F with a 15-20 mph wind. But we both survived!"
"Yesterday I became 75 with Lina 74 and we both are blessed everyday in every way. Praise the Lord!
We do wish you the very best at this celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus our Messiah and pray that the Lord Blesses you with Joy, Happiness, and Good Health in the New Year. - Bob and Lina Youngward.
Donn and Dortha German who were in the same class as Bob and Lina also are very active physically and in multiple ministries in their community. They live in the Round Rock (Pflugerville) area where Donn writes to us -
Merry Christmas 2013
"I thank God for you and for our times together. I hope to catch up on your new memories and adventures by hearing from you. Please let me know how you are and what you have been doing.
May you enjoy moments with your family and friends this Christmas. We pray that God blesses you with good health, happiness, inspiration, fulfillment, helping others, and love in the coming year!!!
It seems that my health keeps getting better with my PSA continuing to drop (didn't take hormones), and I am glad for that. Our experience with you at the Proton Center was an uplifting experience and we think of you often. The care and support from you and the Proton Center staff was a highlight of our lives." Donn and Dortha German.
I'd like to thank you for you continued personal and financial support and I'm looking forward to a new year where thanks to the training from John Barna-Lloyd, I'll have a volunteer's job in the Radiation Oncology Clinic and the Proton Therapy Center follow up clinic.
We hope you and your family have an enjoyable Christmas and wish you a very Happy New Year.
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In Gratitude,
Joe Landry for Banfield Capron, Peter Taaffe, Dave Stevens and Drew Cox
ProtonPals, Ltd. http://protonpals.net
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