A Day in The Life of Zoe....

Hi All!

Wow! I can't believe we've already been here for 3 weeks! Zoe just started treatment last Wednesday, and so far she is doing great with it. She is starting with photon therapy, and will begin proton this Wednesday. A day in the life of Zoe goes something like this:

Wake up at 9 and harass mom and dad until we wake up (we're still running on Oregon time, so she's actually waking up around 6....so don't give us a hard time about sleeping in).

We all share a bedroom on the third floor of the RMH (Ronald McDonald House). We trek down to the 1st floor for coffee, breakfast, and cartoons, and then we're off running. We hike about a 1/4 mile to the T station (Boston's subway), and catch the green line to wherever we're headed. Today we went straight to MGH (Mass General Hospital), and did radiation first, and then we headed home for lunch, and then out to a movie. Our radiation schedule is always fluctuating, there is no set appt. time every day. Now we're home doing laundry, and making dinner.

We live on Kent street in Brookline (a Boston suburb) which runs right between Beacon St. and Harvard St. Both of which are peppered with little stores, restaurants, and parks. We've been exploring our little neighborhood quite a bit. So far we've become regulars at the local Trader Joes, Stop N' Shop, Pete's Coffee, The Upper Crust pizza joint, and CVS Pharmacy (It's like Rite Aid). Not too exciting, but we gotta eat.

Outside of Brookline we've explored a little bit of Boston...the pics are from The Public Gardens which is very beautiful with a big lake and swan boats. We've also been out to Cambridge a couple of times, and visited The Harvard Museum of Natural Science.

Most of our time is spent commuting (via subway, bus, and foot) wherever we want to go. Mass transit is a beautiful thing, but can be quite exhausting!

In other news we are expecting Zoe to have aprox. 36 radiation treatments total, and they are once a day, 5 days a week, and last about 5-10-15 minutes per treatment. Zoe has a special mask that was made to fit only her that she wears, and is hooked to the table that she lays on to immobilize her head. Then she just lays still for the treatment, and listens to music ( so far it's been the Lion King soundtrack) until she's done. She's in there all by herself, and it's with the lights dimmed, but she is SO brave and comes out smiling every time. She doesn't like her mask because it's tight, but it's better than having an iv port, and going to sleep every day for treatment like the little kids do! Fridays are very special here because it's toy day at the proton center! Zoe gets to choose a toy from the toy closet to keep, and they are all cool toys! Not cheesey dollar store toys, but fun ones that she would choose from the store if given the chance. We are resolved to the fact that we'll have to buy another suitcase when it's time to go home just for all the toys, and stuffed animals that Zoe is accumulating!

We're all doing really good for the most part. It has been a somewhat difficult adjustment living in a very crowded house, not having a car, and learning to cope with the doctor visits etc., and homesickness. I think we're over the hump though. It's been hard for Zoe to be without her friends, and sister....especially because there are any kids her age in the house right now. The side effects of the radiation will probably creep up on us in the next couple of weeks, so we are trying to enjoy this "feel good" time.

We'll keep you posted...thanks for all your well wishes!!!!
Colleen