Tall Allen

I hope it takes and your ordeal will finally be over in a matter of months. I am appalled by the damage you describe. Did they ever do a genetic profile to determine why you were so extraordinarily susceptible to radiation. There is a mutated form of the ATM gene that completely eliminates the body's ability to repair the DNA double-strand breaks in healthy tissue after radiation. I wonder if you have that mutation. As genetic testing gets cheaper and more widely available, it would certainly be a good thing to screen for before anyone gets radiation. Keep us informed -- we're all rooting for you.

- Allen