Gloria, Proton Beam Therapy, Coding and Data Analysis, and Writing Dissertation Chapters
The healing-dissertation journey continues . . . At the end of July 2021, I began the 33 proton beam sessions (5 days a week), which ended on September 10, 2021. I had the best care. The doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff treated me with the utmost care and kindness. I was able to personalize the mask, which was tightly attached to the treatment table to keep my head perfectly still while I received radiation. I named her, the mask, Gloria, in honor of Gloria Anzaldúa, who inspires my dissertation work and me. One of the technicians painted it; I gave him a couple of drawings of Anzaldúa and a Dia de Los Muertos skeleton drawing. I explained what I wanted, and he told me, "Remember, I'm a technician first and then an artist." I responded, "Let Gloria inspire you!" The mask is a beautiful piece of art that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Here is a photo of the mask (I'm wearing it during my treatment). MD's Gloria Mask When the proton beam