First Radiation Treatment & Lessons Learned

I made it to the radiation oncology with 2 minutes to spare (accident on the freeway to get around).  There are only 6 parking spaces in a narrow parking lot, which were all taken.

Valet parking! (am I suppose to tip them?)

Swiped my "I'm here!" card and made my way to the dressing room.  I didn't have long to wait.  I was taken back by Tim & Holly to get things rolling.  Apparently, the film they took before the power went out Friday didn't transfer over in the system.  So, new photos were necessary before the treatment began.  I asked Holly to cushion my forearms a little to help the pressure of holding myself up.  It worked for the most part (although my arms were still shaking by the time they were done).  This time, though, the intense pain came from the hard Styrofoam that my forehead rested on.  When that mesh is clamped down tight, nothing moves and my body & head are PRESSED down hard.

OUCH!

I was in that position for almost 30 minutes.  I'm so glad that one was done.   I need to figure out how to ease that pressure from my forehead.  Have you ever eaten something really cold and you get that  brain freeze?  To me, that's intense and that's how it felt.

Once I got down from the table and "situated", I asked Tim if I needed the cream that everyone was talking about.  He said that the cream treats the symptoms and if you use the cream before the symptoms appear, then you make it worse.  So, wait until then.

Anybody disagree?

Then I asked him how the radiation beam was hitting me .... from the back down to the front? That's what I assumed since the 3 tats were on my back.  Nope, that was just to position and line me up.  From the sides ~ That's all I'm giving you.

Just have to use your imagination

I'm thinking about taking my camera in .... I can't find a photo on the net showing you what the mesh looks like.  Perhaps the tech can take a picture.  After I see it, then you can see it.  Perhaps.

I was explaining to Debbie some more details from when the lights went out and she thought it was really funny. I can't seem to remember everything when I'm writing posts.  So, here is the "addendum".

When the power went out and they decided to let me go home, the table was high off the ground.  Plus, the round part of the machine was just inches above my head.  If you can picture yourself (or me) sliding towards the end of the table

like GI Jane under barb wire

to clear the machine above me; then sitting up just to realize that the table was very high up when the power went out.  Again, I must say, I even surprised myself at how agile I was at clutching my gown closed and balancing off the table onto a 3-4 step ladder.

Ta-Da!

32 more to go!