At my first appointment they took some additional "pictures" - both x-rays and actual photographs... of my boob... Awkward? A little. Now I know what the radiation room and machine looks like.
Here's the process... check in, then walk myself back to the radiation waiting area and changing room (yesterday I had someone show me the way so I wouldn't get lost). Change into a gown - top only, I get to leave my pants and shoes on. Put clothes and purse into a locker and then move into the next waiting area. A radiation tech (not sure what they are actually called) calls my name and walks me back to the radiation room. On the way you cross some semi-ominous looking bright orange tape on the floor. Also note that it has a door that is at least 12 inches thick... I assume they close it while they actually administer the radiation.
On my first day, Jerry, the tech, showed me "the control room" as I called it, which is where they are while I'm in the other room being radiated. It had lots of computers and he showed me the "pictures" they took during my simulation.
Then we went into the radiation room. The first thing I'm supposed to do each day is look at a computer screen to verify that my name and picture are on the screen. It's a picture from back when I had hair... long hair! But it's still me I suppose. Next I have to take my gown off and just hold it over my chest while I lay down on a table/platform that is covered with a sheet. It has a head rest and handle bar thing behind that to hold onto with your hands. One of the techs (it takes two) puts a foam support thing under my knees and another thing around my feet so that I don't accidentally cross my legs.
The next instructions are for me to lay completely still, relaxed, and to let my body be "heavy" while the techs adjust the sheet to get my body in the exactly perfect position. This is where my tattoos and those lasers (they are green lasers) come into play. The techs are one on each side of me and pull the sheet to get my body just right. I'm not supposed to "help" them... just lay there heavy and let them do the adjusting. It doesn't take long. Then they use the computer to set up the machine. They say numbers (like "drop to 96") that I suppose are like coordinates or something and correlate to how the machine needs to be positioned to aim the radiation at the correct spot. The table I am on moves up and down and also swivels. The radiation machine is like a big arm thing that rotates around the table so that it can aim at any spot. Once everything is exactly right the techs go into the control center and I just have to lay there completely still.
At my first appointment they had to do some other things once I was in position but before the radiation. They drew what reminded me of photo corners around my treatment area (that would be my breast) with a green marker. Then they took some x-ray pictures with the same machine that does the radiation. Then at the very end they took a few digital photographs. This is one of my photo corners... the other top one was actually on my back, right under my arm and the other two were down below.
The actual radiation pretty weird because you can't see anything. You can't feel anything. But you know something is happening. The only thing is the machine makes kind of a buzzing noise. Then after a couple buzzes it rotates 180 degrees (I think... I can't really tell for sure because as I mentioned, I'm not allowed to move). Then it buzzes a couple more times. Then the techs come back and I'm all done.
Once a week I will meet with Dr. Kuhn after my treatment. On those days (and the first day was one of them) I am supposed to just leave my gown on, grab my things from the locker, and wait in the first radiation waiting room for a nurse to come get me. At this appointment she gave me some gel that I can put on but said that "Udderly Smooth" lotion which you can buy in any regular store actually works better. I'm supposed to slather it on the entire treatment area (inside those photo corners) every day. Maybe more than once? I can't remember and didn't take any notes. She said I probably won't notice anything for at least a couple weeks. Eventually the skin may be more pink and you can have side effects like when you get a sunburn. Hopefully if I can remember to put the lotion or gel on it won't get to uncomfortable.
The rest of the days I just pop in for the radiation treatment and then on with my day. Today they did take a couple more pictures but I think I was in and out in a little less than 30 minutes. In the waiting area there was a woman who was there for her final treatment... I'm probably taking over her time slot is my guess. There was another woman who was also there for her second treatment just like me so we'll probably see each other again. She said she lives in Oregon and so she is staying with a friend in Star while she does her radiation. I'm very thankful we live so close MSTI... it makes it a lot easier that way!
This is my calendar for the next 7 weeks:
Here is some other exciting news, this Friday (May 15) I am going to have my port removed! I will not really miss it. I am glad I had it because it made the infusions really simple (although maybe I wouldn't have had any problems with IV... guess I'll never know). This time Dr. Livingston will get to see me with no hair. She's seen me with my long hair, my short cut, and now this.
The procedure will be in the hospital at St. Luke's downtown but I don't have to be put under anesthesia. Apparently they do it in the operating room, but they can just use a local anesthetic to numb the area. She will make a small incision and remove the port and then use dissolvable sutures to close it up. It's a lot easier to remove the port than to put it in because they don't have to get it positioned just so and get the tube into the vein... she just has to pull it out. Vicki (her nurse) said some people do elect to have full anesthesia but it's not necessary. It's a little unnerving to think about being sliced into, but I'm sure I can handle it and seems much better to not put your body through the whole anesthesia thing if you don't have to. I figure if I'm feeling really nervous they can give me something to help me "relax" if absolutely necessary since I'll be in the hospital. I have to check in at 7:30 am and the procedure is scheduled for 9 am and supposed to take about 30 minutes. Vicki said I could drive myself and would be fine to go to work after the procedure but it seems like you should get to take the day off for something like this and so I am going to do that.
They were able to move my radiation appointment to 11:30 am on that day so I don't have to miss a treatment day. I'm glad to have this next phase in progress now. It almost feels like it's going to take longer than chemo did... 33 treatments where chemo was only 4 treatments but it will actually take about half as long. Maybe by the time I get to number 33 I'll have a little more hair on my head!
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