Tony L. Says When He Rang the Chime, “I Was Thankful That I Had Made it Through”
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Tony said he will never forget the sound of the chime. It felt like he had made it through this part of his prostate cancer treatment recovery.
Speaker Rich Jones:
On Jacksonville's Morning News every Friday, we want to share good news marking 20 years of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute saving lives. Tony Lobianco, who lives in Stuart, Florida, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 2022.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
If you had to have cancer, this was probably the one to get.
Speaker Rich Jones:
He spent the next two to three months doing research, taking time to understand all of the options, which included surgery.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
The last stop in my journey was actually at UF. Our family are longtime Gators. So I knew that, at some point, we would have a discussion with the staff there.
Speaker Rich Jones
He felt comfortable with the treatment plan, proton therapy that started in March of 2023.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
The care team was very helpful in getting through some of the stress and initial concerns about that process.
Speaker Rich Jones:
The treatment was about 5 to 10 minutes total, an hour or so in the office ahead of time, leaving him plenty of time to experience Jacksonville, where he stayed six weeks.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
It wasn't as impactful on my life as I thought it would be.
Speaker Rich Jones:
Tony became friends with quite a few people he met in the waiting room.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
I felt good to compare notes with other people because it's nice to have that reinforcement of somebody else going through the process and saying, Yeah, it's working great for me. I'm really happy.
Speaker Rich Jones:
The last day of treatment, Tony says it felt as he imagined.
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
It felt like I had made it through this stage of my recovery process.
Speaker Rich Jones:
And then he got to ring Aud’s chimes in the lobby. [Chime ringing]
Speaker Tony LoBianco:
It reminded me of chimes that took place, believe it or not, after my father's passing. Somebody gave us a set of chimes. And I was thankful that, I had made it through. And, that sound is something you don't forget. I'm sure you've had experiences in your life of things and you say, I'll never forget that. that's an image.
Speaker Rich Jones:
Now, three years post-treatment, Tony says he's feeling great. His PSA continues to decrease, and he encourages you to not be uncomfortable about using the resources available in Jacksonville. Rich Jones, 104.5 WOKV.
