I had already been through about 30 radiation treatments so I was VERY good at timing the process. I could tell when the techs were talking instead of working or when something came up they had to take care of for a moment. A treatment probably took around 12 minutes or so. I think I could probably "feel" a minutes difference and know something happened. It is also a mechanical device so there were sounds and motions that happened in a certain order at a certain timing. Any changes in that process was an immediate red flag. Two particular instances stand out.
Something bad was happening to the machine starting somewhere around treatment 30. After the two x-rays and my table was aligned, i was supposed to hear the arm that does the radiation turn completely around my head three times. Then one day, the arm went about 15 degrees around my head and stopped. Then went 15 degrees more...and stopped. This continued for all three revolutions. Obviously, this came close to doubling the amount of time I was on the table. I wanted answers. There was something wrong with the software that controls the machine and the tech had to manually control the aperature per my treatment plan.
The technology this machine uses is called IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy). Back in the day, the "gun" just blasted away as it rotated around the patient. I don't think there were many options, that was all they had then. IMRT controls not only the strength of the beam but the size as it rotates not only keeping the beam on the area to be treated but, as best it can, avoids collateral damage to anything else that might be in the area like my thyroid. I know people who had the old-school treatment and they are blown away by how much better I did because of IMRT. Well, the software that controls the beam size and strength was acting up so my techs were manually operating the machine. As I said, these guys know what they are doing.
All of this builds up to the day, it was a Friday, that I got roughly one and a half revolutions and everything stopped. I drummed my fingers on my chest which was my signal to the techs to get the show on the road. A minute or so later I heard the door open and they let me off the table. "The machine is down.". Even in my current mental and physical state, I asked the most pertinent question: "That treatment counts towards my 40. Right?". They would have to check with Dr. K. Well, then I already know the answer. Sure enough, I show up Monday and was told they added another day to the end of my treatment. There was a very stormy day during this period when the machine was down when I got there and they just sent me home instead of trying to get it done. Add that day to the end, too. That made my last treatment fall on May 13. Friday the 13th.
The other memorable event during this period of the treatment involved my mask. Earlier, when I described how the mask was made I said it was so tight I could not open my mouth or eyes. I had started noticing that I could easily open my eyes and could have watched the machine do it's work if I wanted to. I do remember being told that was not a good idea. One day, the regular procedure stopped and I knew something was up. I heard the door open and both techs came in and messed with the bolts that hold the mask to the table. They were all properly secured. I could hear them talking back and forth trying to figure out what was causing the problem. They took the mask off momentarily and told me to lie very still. I looked around and was blown away! I had never felt movement in the "up" direction but the table was close to five feet in the air and they were afraid I would roll off or fall if I sat up. Very freaky! Several more minutes of messing with me and the mask and they finished the treatment.
When I got up to leave they told me what was wrong. I had lost so much weight that even my face had shrunk to the point that I needed a new mask. At that point I had enough experience with the mask that making another one was no big deal.
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