Loma Linda University Medical Center is the only level one regional trauma center for Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties in Southern California. As a result patients and visitors will more than likely see and/or hear helicopters arriving and departing regularly at the Medical Center. Literally there are thousands of landings per year. If you have ever been close to a helicopter you know how loud they are. Our little cottage is within view and earshot of the two heliports at the facility. I think we hear more helicopters than ambulances.
The thundering noise can have a number of effects on people. To some it might be an irritation. To others it signals that help is on the way. When we first arrived
all I was hearing was the clamor from these contraptions. When we learned about the trauma center we understood the significance of the noise from these “flying hospitals.” With my “hearing” I was able to add knowledge and understanding. Can you imagine someone living near the facility saying “can’t they land those things somewhere else?” Ignorance can have a stifling effect on our perception and points of view. I see the proton center here at LLUMC in a similar light.
As I researched prostate cancer and consulted with doctors, proton beam therapy (PBT) was a blip on the radar screen. Many patients are not even presented with this treatment as an option. As I have read patient testimonials I have been amazed at how many have stated their doctors were not aware of it. Some consider this treatment “experimental” or “unproven.” Added to that is the fact that some insurance companies still refuse to reimburse or cover the cost of this treatment. Much of this probably stems from a lack of knowledge regarding PBT.
Proton technology has been around for a long time. The first patients treated with proton beams were done so at the Lawrence Berkley Laboratory in California in 1955. But it wasn’t until 1990 that LLUMC opened “the world’s first proton facility designed for patient treatment and research in a hospital setting.” It was the only one of its kind for 13 years. To dispel the misconceptions regarding PBT consider the following. About 55,000 patients worldwide had been treated with proton therapy with over 12,000 of those patients having been treated at the LLUMC proton center. There are currently six proton centers operating in the United States with four more under construction and others under development. Medicare and the majority of private insurance companies cover this form of treatment; and the U.S. FDA has approved it use for treatment of cancer.
There were many compelling medical and personal reasons for me in choosing PBT beyond those mentioned above, but I was not going to let my own ignorance get in the way. The ability to distinguish between opinion and fact was vitally important. The more I studied prostate cancer the more I felt drawn to PBT as my treatment path. The constant helicopter traffic is a reminder that help is on the way here at LLUMC. It is a comfort knowing “I am at the right place at the right time.”
The thundering noise can have a number of effects on people. To some it might be an irritation. To others it signals that help is on the way. When we first arrived
all I was hearing was the clamor from these contraptions. When we learned about the trauma center we understood the significance of the noise from these “flying hospitals.” With my “hearing” I was able to add knowledge and understanding. Can you imagine someone living near the facility saying “can’t they land those things somewhere else?” Ignorance can have a stifling effect on our perception and points of view. I see the proton center here at LLUMC in a similar light.As I researched prostate cancer and consulted with doctors, proton beam therapy (PBT) was a blip on the radar screen. Many patients are not even presented with this treatment as an option. As I have read patient testimonials I have been amazed at how many have stated their doctors were not aware of it. Some consider this treatment “experimental” or “unproven.” Added to that is the fact that some insurance companies still refuse to reimburse or cover the cost of this treatment. Much of this probably stems from a lack of knowledge regarding PBT.
Proton technology has been around for a long time. The first patients treated with proton beams were done so at the Lawrence Berkley Laboratory in California in 1955. But it wasn’t until 1990 that LLUMC opened “the world’s first proton facility designed for patient treatment and research in a hospital setting.” It was the only one of its kind for 13 years. To dispel the misconceptions regarding PBT consider the following. About 55,000 patients worldwide had been treated with proton therapy with over 12,000 of those patients having been treated at the LLUMC proton center. There are currently six proton centers operating in the United States with four more under construction and others under development. Medicare and the majority of private insurance companies cover this form of treatment; and the U.S. FDA has approved it use for treatment of cancer.
There were many compelling medical and personal reasons for me in choosing PBT beyond those mentioned above, but I was not going to let my own ignorance get in the way. The ability to distinguish between opinion and fact was vitally important. The more I studied prostate cancer the more I felt drawn to PBT as my treatment path. The constant helicopter traffic is a reminder that help is on the way here at LLUMC. It is a comfort knowing “I am at the right place at the right time.”
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