HomeThe MPRI ExperiencePatients & FamiliesPatient StoriesCynthia Smith

Cynthia Smith, MPRI patient with a non–cancerous brain tumor

When Cynthia initially contacted MPRI, her first question was, "Is my tumor even treatable?" Because she had received "Nos" and "Maybes" from other facilities, she was surprised to hear the voice on the line say, "Definitely." Now, after traveling from her Missouri farm to stay in Bloomington, IN, Cynthia is almost finished with her treatments.

Proton therapy has been a lot easier on her physically than her past brain surgery, which took a year to recover from. "With proton therapy, there's no pain, no shots, no IV tubes," she says. "For me, it's a pretty easy choice."

Cynthia has had a meningioma (non–cancerous brain tumor) for several years. In 2001, she had it removed. Then, in 2003, the tumor recurred. To add to her challenges, Cynthia lives in a rural area of Missouri, and there were no physicians in her area who could treat her condition. Cynthia contacted many out–of–state facilities, including the Mayo Clinic, but she didn't get the answers she hoped for.

Cynthia's tumor, though non–cancerous, is close to the carotid artery, and removing it completely could have caused a massive stroke. Surgeries could have safely removed part of it, but it would probably have grown back. Cynthia began to consider a treatment called the gamma knife but was told it could penetrate the optic nerve and cause blindness.

Finally, Cynthia sent her MRIs to a consortium of physicians in California. There, a technician suggested that she consider proton therapy. After researching it on the Web, Cynthia called MPRI because it was the closest proton facility to her home. She was stunned to hear that proton therapy was a strong possibility. However, Cynthia put off making an appointment because the people she knew in the medical community weren't very familiar with proton treatment. "No one recommends it to you, so you think it's experimental," she says.

A few months later, Cynthia finally took the plunge. She came to Bloomington with her husband, Bob, to talk to Dr. Allan Thornton. After speaking with him for several hours, the couple became convinced that proton therapy was the way to go. Dr. Thornton put the pros and cons of treatment in simple terms that they could understand. "It's comforting just to talk to him," says Cynthia.

When she began treatment, Cynthia was a bit nervous. "The first treatment I had, my knees were weak," she says. But after almost eight weeks, it's become routine. "You don't feel anything. There's no pain."

Although Cynthia does have some fatigue, a slight burning sensation on her face, and minor hair loss, she feels that these side effects are minor in comparison with the long recovery time after her brain surgery. "The beam is much more pleasant," she says.

Cynthia also likes proton therapy's 20– to 30–minute treatment time. "You go to your treatments and you have the rest of the day to do what you want," she says.

Cynthia and her husband have enjoyed exploring Bloomington, although at first it seemed like a big city compared to their quiet farm. But a local church helped them find a place to stay, MPRI staff members gave them maps and pamphlets, neighbors asked them to dinner, and they discovered fishing at Griffy Lake. "It's great therapy," she says. "You can forget your worries."

They've also enjoyed the IU Art Museum, free YMCA workouts, and walks around town. "Bloomington has been really good to us," she says.

Most of all, Cynthia appreciates the relationships she's built with staff members and patients. "Through 30 treatments, you become like a family," she says. Although Cynthia's looking forward to getting back to her farm, part of her wishes she could stay. "If I sat down to write a thank you note to all the people I'm grateful to, it would take forever," she says.

Cynthia wishes that more people knew about proton therapy. "It's the best kept secret there is," she says.