First, but not last
Carol Ramnarine with her beloved pets
Eventually, though, the magnitude of the event dawned on me.
I was the first multiple myeloma patient in the world to go through total marrow irradiation. Two years of planned research by the City of Hope TomoTherapy team was about to come together for the first time on a patient: me. I silently prayed, dedicating my participation to my father, William L. Grover, M.D., in addition to asking God’s steadfast hand to bless this team.
The TomoTherapy system is a specialized machine that focuses radiation treatment on a tumor site with little spillover into the healthy tissue that surrounds it. Less but more precise radiation offers the potential benefit of lessened debilitating side effects. Total marrow irradiation meant they had to administer radiation to the bone marrow throughout my body.
The physicians made adjustments. Shifts were made in the fabric and laser beams aligned to tattooed marks on my body; shoulder straps and a face mask were put into place. Attention to details was evident; accuracy was paramount. The art of precision prevailed over the chatter of excitement.
Once they aligned the machine, my treatment began. First, a red light appeared, and then I heard a sound similar to a washing machine, or a marching band, drumming in a rhythm that drowned out the music piped into the treatment room.
I held still. I did not want to move and cause them to start all over. I escaped into my imagination as I lay there. The drumming sound of the machine melted into the snow-laden street I raced down on my red wooden bobsled with my siblings and friends on Crofton Road in Garfield Heights, Ohio.
The last 27 minutes of the procedure were the most difficult for me. I no longer was able to entertain my mind. I began to feel the fatigue of remaining still and lying on a platform. I felt like the kid who kept asking her parents, “Are we there yet?” The minutes and seconds ticked away slowly, but the terrific staff kept me motivated and resolved until the end of each treatment.
Each evening, before I was taken back to my room, my team of doctors would see how I was handling the treatment. I experienced minimal side effects; nothing was as severe as the effects I saw in other patients who received traditional radiation treatment.
Nearly two years have passed since then, and I am doing great. This noninvasive radiation therapy, with fewer side effects, is amazing. I now volunteer my time at City of Hope mentoring other patients through their own cancer experiences, and also with the nonprofit Firefighter Cancer Support Network.
I am grateful to the people who have acted on their dreams and dedicated their time, as well as the investors in research who have enabled so many great advances in cancer treatment. I am truly blessed with a professional medical team and a fellowship of friends and family all supporting me.