Chekesa Brashear, R.T., serves as a lead radiation therapist at Texas Center for Proton Therapy. Chekesa shares what inspired her to specialize in proton therapy and her favorite things to do in her free time outside of working at the proton center.

Did you always know you wanted to work in cancer care, and what inspired you to specialize in proton therapy?

I always knew I wanted to be in healthcare but didn’t feel like nursing was for me. My local community college in New Mexico had a great radiography program, so I decided to apply and was accepted. One of the program requirements was to rotate through all the different modalities such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, and mammography. I was most intrigued by radiation therapy and loved the patient and caregiver rapport. I instantly knew that was the route I wanted to take in my career.

I worked in my hometown as a radiation therapist doing traditional photon radiation therapy for about a year but really wanted to do more. Some of my earliest clinical rotations were at Texas Oncology and I loved the culture. When I came across an open position at Texas Center for Proton Therapy and completed my on-site visit, I was sold. From the technology and collaboration between each department, to the opportunity to grow and learn in my field, the choice to join this team was a no-brainer for me.

If you could tell prospective patients one thing about proton therapy, what would it be?

I would tell prospective cancer patients to do their research about proton therapy and advocate for themselves.

What is your day-to-day role like working at Texas Center for Proton Therapy?

Each day starts with morning quality assurance checks and then we begin seeing patients. Our team sees about 80 patients a day on average, so keeping each treatment room running on time is essential. As a lead radiation therapist, I spend most of my day-to-day treating patients, but I also hold other administrative duties such as keeping up with team member scheduling and facilitating time off requests.

What has working with the patients you see taught you about the resiliency of the human spirit?

Every time I tell someone what I do for a living I tend to get the same response of, “Wow, it must be really difficult to work in cancer care every day.” While at times it can be hard, our patients are the most positive, good spirited, 100% resilient people I have ever met.

I spend a lot of my free time exploring the DFW area. I moved here from a small town not too long ago, so it is very refreshing to be in a city with so much to do. If I’m not at home relaxing with my family, one of my favorite things to do is axe throwing. Although I’m not the best at it yet, it is really fun once I get warmed up after a few throws!

What are you regularly tuning into right now?

I’m currently obsessed with true crime podcasts. I sometimes scare myself when listening to these alone at home or on a road trip, but I love them.

Where is your favorite place you’ve ever visited?

Hands down Japan. I lived in Okinawa for a few years and one of my best friends lives near Tokyo. I was able to visit not too long ago and we had the best time. Okinawa is a little island off mainland Japan and the beaches are amazing. And Tokyo is, well, it’s Tokyo! We did everything from hiking a mountain to seeing the Shibuya scramble and made time for shopping of course.