Mary,

Four years ago, I was about to begin my radiation treatments. Thinking back, the toughest part for me was the mask they used to hold my head steady during treatments... I'm claustrophobic, so the darned thing kinda freaked me out.

After several uncomfortable treatments, I noticed that the technicians had a boombox sitting quietly in a corner of the treatment room. I asked if they would turn it on, tune into my favorite classic rock station, and crank it up. They did, and I finally relaxed.

One day, I heard the doctor giving the techs some grief about playing the radio with a patient in the room. I let him know that the music was the only thing that was keeping me flat on the table. Apparently, they didn't cover the calming effect of rock music in med school, but he relented.

Seven weeks of radiation wasn't easy. Recovery from the treatments was slow. But today, my taste buds are back, the dry mouth is gone (I credit hyperbaric oxygen treatments), and life is good. Not the same, but good nonetheless.

Keep a positive attitude. Live well, and laugh often. Listen to some music. Fight through the hard stuff. You've got a lot of good things to look forward to.

Ken