[MUSIC] I had single-sided congestion.
I notice for pretty much the whole month of November of 2020.
I was able to schedule with an ENT who I had never met before,
and walked in his door and he immediately
sculpt me and realized that there
was something in a spot where there shouldn't be.
We did a quick in-office CT.
I remember him saying to me, "What's that doing there?"
And thinking, you never want to stump your doctor.
My name is Angie Reed.
I'm from Scottsdale, Arizona.
Was diagnosed with anesthesia neuroblastoma.
I took it upon myself to start researching to see
who the big players were in this specific cancer.
I came up with a few institutions,
but the first one that I called and made contact with was Hopkins.
>> At first met Angie in 2020 and she
came in from Arizona seeking care here.
She wanted to live and she wanted to do everything.
I wanted to help her do that as best I
could and I didn't do this alone.
Dr. London and Dr. Galea and their teams took care
of the surgery part of
things and because the tumor was aggressive,
we needed to follow that with radiation.
We determined that proton radiation
would give her the best outcome.
[MUSIC]
>> Proton radiation therapy is a type of radiation
using heavy charged particles that when
used appropriately can reduce
excess dose spillage into other intervening organs of interests.
More and more opportunities have been figured
out for patients to reduce toxicities,
particularly in the central nervous system
and the head and neck area.
The technology is using a form of radiation,
but it's using a different technique than regular X-ray treatment.
In doing so, we can spare the side effects
of the known toxicity of radiation therapy.
>> The Proton Center is a pretty special place.
I had my first appointment with Dr.
Page, and she explained
that she works in conjunction with a number of
other physicists in order to be able to look at the scans and make
sure that the treatment that you receive is customized,
not only specific to your tumor,
but specific to you.
They're looking at your own anatomy
and figuring out exactly the right way
for that being to be able to
attack only the area that it needs to.
>> Proton radiation isn't available everywhere.
I'm proud to be at Hopkins where we have one of
the newest machines and the best technology there is.
With all of the bells and whistles that we
have including onboard imaging where we can
verify the position of the patient before that beam
turns on to give even more accuracy to where we're targeting.
It's helpful to have access to
such great technology right here in the National Capital Region.
One of the most incredible parts of being a radiation oncologist
is the idea that I do get to
follow patients through their lifetime after cancer.
I see them discovering new things and
reaching their life milestones in their goals,
and making new goals.
It just gives me a thrill to get those updates
and see them thriving after something that was hard.
It's inspirational.
>> I think that the best part of all of
this is that my doctors have instilled
a confidence in me that my life is going to
continue down the path that I've always envisioned.
My husband and I are getting to a point that
we'll be able to enjoy retirement together.
Overlooking the ocean or a lake,
holding hands with my husband watching sunset.
I'm grateful that the care that I received is going to allow me to
have those same dreams that I had
when I said I do to the man that I'm with today.