Let's Talk Radiation Therapy

As much guidance, knowledge, and support as I can give you on the topic of receiving radiation treatments, I can’t speak to you from a patient’s point of view. Sometimes, no matter how much someone says they understand, there’s nothing more powerful than speaking with a peer who can validate your emotions and experience. Also, it can be very encouraging to see someone in a similar situation complete their treatment and move on with their life.

I’ll never forget the first time I witnessed how powerful authentic mentorship can be. For a few years of my career, I delivered a specialized external beam radiation treatment called proton radiation therapy. This type of radiation is great for people with intricately located tumors and pediatric patients due to the special properties of the radiation beam. Early on in my time working with this type of treatment, I witnessed a pediatric patient around the age of seven, who was undergoing radiation treatment to his brain, coach another child of his age who was scared and had yet to begin the treatment process. This brave kiddo under treatment confidently walked his new friend into the treatment room and explained, in his own words, what this process was like for him and how none of it hurt.
He jumped right up on the treatment table to show this other child how easy it was and how it all “really wasn’t that scary.”

The magnitude of emotion I felt that day was unlike anything I had experienced in my career up to that point. I’ll never forget the bravery that tiny gentleman displayed for his new friend that day. Being shown and encouraged by his peer that he could do this, too, gave his new friend the courage to start and finish his entire course of treatment. Do not underestimate the power of mentorship through shared experience.