First Radiation Treatment - John

Noah had his first radiation treatment this morning. We arrived at the UAB Radiation Oncology building at 7:00 AM. Noah was greeted in the lobby by Dusty, a 9 year old shih tzu that is part of the 'Hand in paw' dog therapy program here. Children are scheduled for treatment first every day and the hand in paw program has a dog in the lobby every day for the children to enjoy while they wait. 
Noah was a little scared at the new surroundings and all the new faces as we made our way down the hallway toward the treatment room. Once we were inside, he settled down. He has his port accessed so putting him to sleep was a breeze. He went to sleep and they immediately began the process of positioning him correctly and placing his mask over his face and chest. Noah will never be awake during this part of the process, so he will never know or remember being bolted to a table with a mask over him. Thank God. 
Once he was secure, everyone left the room and a very large door, over a foot thick, closed him in. I was able to stand at the operator's desk and watch as they positioned the machine in just the right spot. Four cameras monitored his every move and we could hear him if he made any sounds. Once everything was correctly positioned, they began his first dose of radiation. This part of the treatment only lasted two minutes. Once it was over, Noah was awakened and brought to us in the waiting area. He was very loopy but wasn't crying or unhappy. We waited about ten minutes then he had a vitals test. Everything checked out just fine and we were released. We came home and Jessica made eggs, grits, and toast. We sat and watched "Super Why," one of Noah's favorite shows and ate our breakfast.  

Jessica has made a chart for Noah to put stickers on marking off each day of his treatment. He has picked out his favorite characters to go on the poster. Spiderman made it to the first block. : ) He also gets a sucker after every treatment. He loves that part!

We want to thank everyone who has helped us in this new chapter of Noah's journey. Many of you have sent encouraging cards and notes to Noah, me, and Jess. Many of you have made financial contributions to help in Noah's expenses and we have recently heard of several fundraisers people and some organizations are putting on in Noah's behalf. All of this support has been such a blessing to us. We cannot say thank you enough.

Noah has another treatment tomorrow, then he and Jessica will come home to Athens for Friday and Saturday night, then return to Birmingham on Sunday. 

Please continue to pray for Noah's healing and all the other children who suffer with cancer. 
Spread the Word 
Pray for Noah
​- John

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