We picked Finn up from camp and headed out to Chicago around 2 PM. Finn has such a great time at camp - esp today since they had a fire truck! The YMCA camp has worked out beautifully for us with Finn - a real answer to prayers. The Proton Beam Center has a relationship with the local YMCA. We were told originally that all patients have free access to the center fitness equipment but it worked out to be even greater for us. We were able to get Finn into camp for free! It is all due to Angela there who is the person in charge of all camps and had a son treated at the Proton Beam center a little over 2 years ago for medula blasphoma. She is in charge of all the camps at the Y and said it this is her way to give back to the center. She said whatever we want Finn to get into we will get him in - no matter if booked etc. She knows from experience what we are going thorough and the need for siblings to have some type of structure during all of this. She said they usually don't get siblings but children of patients and knows how hard it is for siblings. She said she made sure that some of the funds earmarked for scholarships are used for the siblings and children from the Proton Center. It has given us a feeling of a normal family life - well at least as normal as it can be. We are able to drop Finn off around 9 AM and then head to Elan's appts which have been around 9:30. This week will be a bit more tricky since Elan's appts are at 8:30 on MW and F.
So Elan's first few treatments took a bit longer than what they will be going forward. They have to get used to him and lining him up in the control center room (looks like NASA) they robotically take 4 X-Rays of him before giving him the radiation to make sure all is exact. He also has stickers on his chest we are trying to keep on (so not happening) so they don't have to reapply. So besides getting sedated he is getting X-Rays - not going to be concerned about the amount of radiation we get from going through airports anymore :)
So I made a reservation online during the drive with Priceline - should have done earlier but had other things going on so we ended up in Tinley Park. This is where my dad grew up. We wanted to arrange meeting up with my Aunt Sally and Uncle Art but hadn't gotten around to it. So we called around 6 and Sally was able to meet up with us! We met at Aurelio's pizza where Sally had worked for years as a waitress. Not the same location but still fun. SO great to be able to see her! She even found a way to bring cool books for the boys - all in 30 minutes! Elan loves them - they are the pull out kind and ELan loves 2 pages specifically that he wants to keep going back to. Thanks Sally! Here are some pictures:
This is the house my dad grew up in... sorry only a night time photo but looked nice!
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