March 17th - Day One

Of everything I knew at this point, I was most scared of chemo.  I had discussed it with Doogie and he had told me in broad terms what to expect but I still had the mental image of what I thought people on chemo looked like.  I had also talked with Dr. K about radiation and knew that I likely wouldn't feel anything from that treatment for several weeks.  There was nothing left to do but get this party started.  I thought I would feel better when the waiting was over and I was closing the distance between that day and the day of the last treatment.

I had decided I was going to work as much as possible through treatment.  The cancer center was on the feeder road of a tollway I use almost every day so I set up my standing appointment at 4:45 so I could whip in, get zapped and then continue on home.  On Day One, I met the radiation techs (two of which I had already met when they made my mask) who showed me around the room I would spend part of every weekday for the next 7 weeks.  My mask was on a shelving unit in the room.  I walked in, layed down on the table and they fastened the mask down over my face and asked if I was OK.  I grunted yes and they said what they would say at that point every day, "Here we go".  They leave the room and the treatment starts.

I obviously couldn't see anything but I had the process explained to me by family members who were allowed to watch (I will tell that story soon!).  The table I am on rises about 4 feet off the ground.  That part was a surprise as it operates so smoothly, quietly and slowly that I never had the sensation of being lifted.  As I was being lifted, an X-Ray machine was mechanically moved into place and one image taken from the side, another taken directly above.  Then the X-Ray arm is retracted and nothing happens for a minute or so.  While I am waiting, the technician is looking at my original film and the two just taken by the machine.  He/She then uses a joystick and moves the two new images until they are exactly on top of the original.  They press a button and the table I am on moves to the exact position of my original film.  I feel the table wiggle a little bit and then the arm that does the radiating moves into place.  It would then make a whining noise and three revolutions, arcs, around my neck.  When it was done I could hear it pull back as the table lowered to normal height.  Within seconds the tech was by my side un-dogging the t handle fasteners that hold the mask to the table.  Start to finish the entire process takes from 13-17 minutes.

One down, 34 to go.

Tomorrow, another radiation treatment and my first chemo.