Tuesday, June 8, 2010

#177: Radiation Therapy Begins

OK, first I have to tell you about "waffle face." This is not something that I read about anywhere, and I found it hilarious. Remember I told you about the mask, right? Here's a  good picture from Upton's Cancer Update.
They put a block under your head, then place the mask over your face and shoulders. Once it is bolted to the table, you don't move. This allows them to target the radioactive hoodoo very precisely. Yesterday, I slept through the procedure. They shot some "films" which I guess means they did X-rays or something, then they shot me with radiation. When I woke up, they removed the mask, and sent me rolling down the hall with my IV pole. I asked to use the bathroom, and when I looked in the mirror, I saw that I had what looked like a very mild sunburn in the diamond pattern of the mask. Mrs P said they looked like snake scales. They eventually faded, but they tickled me. We'll try to get some photos of me as "Lizard Man:" later on.

I was more awake for today's treatment. I'll be starting my weekdays at 8:30 for the next 6 1/2 weeks when I have a standing appointment with the radiation techs. On Mondays, I'll meet with Dr K. He's the genius who masterminds all the cosmic rays.

Here's how the day goes. You check in at the guard house where a sleepy man looks up your name on his monitor, then lets you into the parking lot at the Markey Cancer Center. Upon entering the lobby, you're greeted by a charming lady at the reception desk and a creepy baby grand piano that plays by itself. Even the keys move. Down the elevator to the G level, where you scan your ID card at the desk. This lets the radiation techs know you have arrived. Soon, one of them appears and calls your name. You are led down a long hallway to a room with an enormous door. The thing must be at least 10 inches thick, and swings on two, half inch thick steel hinges. Inside is the "machine."


It looks like a robot, which I guess it is. There is a smooth steel table with a linen "draw sheet" on top. They use this sheet to slide you into place once you are on the table. Your head goes onto a hard plastic rest, your knees go over a soft, prism shaped cushion. Then the mask is put in place.

The mask is soft, but firm. You can breathe easily, open and close your eyes, even talk if you don't wag your chin too much. Once the bolts are clipped into place, the team starts preliminary targeting checks. There are lasers all over the place. They shoot dots and cross-hairs that the techs use to match the landmarks that they've put on tape on the mask. Once everything is in place, they leave the room and the table starts to move. It lifts you up into position, and the robot swings forward. Sometimes there are arms that reach around from the sides. Sometimes the big disk hums and beeps. The entire assembly moves with easy autonomic grace. Well, most of the time it does.

The whole gizmo came to a stop and the gentleman tech came back into the room, I assumed to release me and send me home.

"We done?"

"Nope, the machine's broke down."

Broke down? Oh no. Tell me my fat ass didn't break the table. No, it turned out there had been some kind of software glitch and the whole gizmo locked up. Sort of the high tech version of the Blue Screen of Death. Since there is apparently no "Any" key on a zillion dollar ray gun, they shut the thing down and decided to move me to the neighboring room to finish my treatment. I swung my legs up without waiting for help, and he jumped toward me.

"Wait, wait, wait!" From under the mask, I hadn't realized how far the table moved. I was a good five feet off the ground. He brought me a stool, and I hopped down like a gazelle. After a quick trip to finish up next door, I was done for the day.

Mrs P looked tired when I came out. The last two days have taken a lot out of her. She drove me home and laid down for a well-deserved nap. I'll just keep going until the steroids crash. I figure I'm good for about another hour.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the continued updates. The process of entering the place sounds like something Maxwell Smart would do to go to work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I read every post, my friend...so let me know if u ever feel frisky enough for a visitor who's been thru sumpin like this...as a daughter of someone in it...I know the drill...u may feel like it , u may change ur mind, u may even want toddlers to come by and be annoying and entertaining at the same time...it all works for me. and even if u never feel like a visit, know that I'm out here...sending mighty blessings ur way!!!!


    Laurie Genet Preston

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that robotic machine Cyberknife or similar to it? My husband, John, did have three sessions with Cyberknife because his lung cancer was at stage 4 and inoperable. The oncologist we were assigned to told us about it and, thank God, it did completely kill the two cancer clusters in his left lung.

    Still dealing with other cancer and John just finished his third chemo treatment. The second day he was very cold (even though the temps in KC has been in the 90's) so I put an extra blanket on him even though I kick off all the covers.

    Thanks for allowing us to see your journal.


    Robyn

    ReplyDelete
  4. Robyn, you and John remain in my prayers. We are all survivors, no matter where we are in the journey. I'll find out more about the gizmo today. I'm sure it has a more specific name than that.

    Peace,

    pennsy

    ReplyDelete

Label Cloud

mrs p Cancer running lifting weights LIVESTRONG at the YMCA treadmill weight nutrition depression God Living Strong at the Y injury YMCA dogs mom walking radiation Weight Lifting cardio friends program theatre body fat long slow run love One for the Five aches elliptical race resistance bands stretching 5K Acting Jeff Galloway chemo doctor family mental health Church Pittsburgh Marathon bluegrass fundraising inspiration patience personal trainer recovery Flying Pig Marathon Jesus Johns Striders Race Report Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon bipolar frustration kentucky knees measurements morning promatx yoga Christmas Marathon Pennsy's Greatest Hits cats clothes heart rate hope lance armstrong life molly poetry rest side effects steelers swimming 10K Actors' Guild of Lexington Blog CT Scan Coach Carrie PET Scan cross training exercise fear feeling good groin healing ice cream livestrong nausea powerlifting run/walk/run stair climber surgery Cancer Fighter Cold Gear Hills Iron Horse Half-marathon Job LSR Mum Nike+ Shamrock Shuffle 3K achilles advent arboretum bmi bodyweight exercises changes charity circuit training cycling dad deadlift diabetes encouragement experts give up goals horses interval training jake kettlebells lean body mass new rules of lifting pacing personal best plateau prayer recumbent bike research shoes sleep strength teeth therapist toe video Blood Easter Endurance Funeral Garmin 405 Homecoming House Insurance Juicing Keeneland Legacy Night PR Pennsyltucky Pittsburgh Relapse Run This Town TRX Training Values aflac arnold ben-gay bench press chafing christian compression shorts dentist dreams faith fat fatigue foreclosure good day half marathon hospitality javarunner john's run/walk shop lou schuler new year nurse pains peg tube powercage progressive resistance. racing rain rapture reboot runners world squat sun block supplements team pennsy tired weather will rogers work #3rightThings 9-11 ACSM AIDS Aquaphor Blessings Bluegrass 10K CSN Cancer Boy Cedar Hill Charles Dickens Class of 82 Classes Colby Road College Compassion Courage Crowdrise Cystoscopy Dee Diet EFM Epiphany Fall Fartlek Fat Man Fat Sick and Nearly Dead Frankfort Gadgets Gramma Grampa Gratitude Grete Waitz Guest HITT HIV Hell Holding Hands Holy Saturday Homer Horse Capital Marathon IVP Ice bath Jacuzzi James Taylor Jesus wept Joe Cross John Izzo Joy KY LaDonna Leg Day Lent Lessons Lexington Little Pennsy Mental hospital Midsummer Night's Run Mindfulness MobileFit Negative Splits Old Frankfort Pike Pilates Podrunner Pre-race Priorities RICE Railrunner 10 Miler Random thoughts Resurrection Reunion Run Bob Run Run Report Run Review Run for the Gold 3K Running Form Running for Sabrina STUPID Shakespeare Skip Brown Speed Spinning Summer Of Speed Sunrise Supersets Tao Te Ching Thank You The Wall Three Right Things Toxic Passenger UK UK basketball Urine Urologist Victory Walk of Shame Warrior Westminster Whole Foods Wind Words Zumba ace bandages addicted agony alwyn cosgrove america anger antibiotic anxiety awake back baseball blood clots blood pressure body glide bonhoeffer books brad calories chinup colonoscopy consistency crazy cycles dentures dip dr. google dumbbells elevation facebook failure farts feet fight for life fitness forgiveness frankenpennsy fun getting started glucosamine glutes goal gremlin grenz grumpy hair hamstrings hiccups high school hot ice incarnation indian food jogging john lennon joint legacy trail liniment lunges machines maker's mark mapmyrun.com medicine ball meds mercy motivation motley fool music nature neighborhood new balance nike noah numbers pennsyltuckian periodization persistence phlebitis postmodern prison professional boundaries progress psychiatrist pullups pushups quads ramble rememberance renewal road running ronnie coleman rowing safety sauna scan-ziety sexy shopping shorts shower sick sleepless snow socks spandex star trek statistics steam room steroids stiff strained muscle strap strength training supination support surgeon survive swackett swiss balls table technology tempo terry bradshaw testicular torsion text thai food that's fit the five thighs walk breaks warm up water fitness water jogging weak wedding ring wellness wife winter workout writing yardwork