My friends and family, being the sweet and caring people that they are, never told me that I had a bald spot on the back of my head. I knew that the hair on the top of my head was very, very thin (so thin that you can see much of my scalp), but I had no idea that it was THAT thin in back. It looks extra stupid because I have perfectly fine hair around the sides of my head, making it seem like I'm one good shed away from looking like Friar Tuck. At first, I thought that the hair that was was left was growing long in the back and I thought I'd be destined for a mullet, but NOW I think I might be destined for the monk look. Oh, I'd give anything to have a mullet instead! Let's hope that my hair comes back on top and FAST! I need it for the Smith reunion and I don't want to look like a middle-aged, balding man when I see my fellow Smithies. Otherwise, I might have to hear a stupid sun hat or something and that would ruin the outfit I've already decided to buy for Ivy Day.
Radiation therapy went fine. No, my skin did not crackle like I feared and I survived. The first "live" treatment was a little longer than intended because my radiation oncologist wanted another X-ray with all the little doo-dads in place to make sure everything was a-okay. So, like before, I undressed and donned the blue printed patient gowns and laid on the radiation table. They helped my arms out of my gown and covered my breasts with strips of cloth (for the sake of modesty/comfort...they have to radiate between them anyway). The technicians told me to go totally limp so they could scoot me around in all sorts of fashions in order to get me into the perfect position as practiced in the simulations. They fastened the Hannibal mask onto the table, stabilizing my head. They lowered the radiation machine, which looked remarkably like an over-sized dentists' lamp and installed these sheets of glass that rested just underneath the opening of the radiation machine. On these sheets were all sorts of notes about positioning and where the radiation block that shielded my thyroid was supposed to be placed. I noticed, as well as I could from my Hannibal mask, that they were measuring with rulers and lasers and all sorts of other fancy equipment, making very tiny and precise changes to the alignment of the gear and my body, making placement notes with a black marker. They placed a large rubber band around my toes to prevent wiggling and taped my arms down to the table and scurried out of the room. I guess they wanted to hurry because the positioning they used for the treatment is extremely uncomfortable and the room was terribly cold. They took a couple of X-rays with the machine. It whirred and hissed for a few seconds and shut off.
After a few moments, the technicians came back to tell me that the radiation oncologists were pleased with my placement and the plan, so it was time to receive the first treatment. Suddenly, my heart began to pound and a feeling of anxiety began to well up in my chest. The technicians patted my hand and told me that I was doing great and that the treatment is painless and fast. I mumbled a "thnnkyuw" and I heard the familiar humming of the machine as the giant 'dental lamp' rotated above me, stopping a mere 7-8 inches above my chest and neck area. The techs scurried out of the room and closed the door behind them. In the distance I heard a faint clicking sound, which was the machine priming itself, and then the actual radiation followed; making a great hissing noise that sounded something like a subdued tattoo machine on full blast. The noise sustained itself for approximately 15-20 seconds and stopped. I felt nothing, but my ears were ringing just a little and I felt slightly jarred by the noise it made. The techs rushed in again to check on me and to rotate the machine. The great thing rotated underneath the elevated table I was laying on and stopped behind me at a lateral angel. The technicians again rushed out of the room and the machine was turned on. Another 15-20 seconds of the hissing and tattoo-gun-sounds and that was it.
Immediately afterward, the techs unlatched my Hannibal mask and removed the tape from my arms. At this point, my shoulders were screaming and it felt amazing to finally stretch. (I really underestimated how HARD that damn radiation table was going to be!) They helped me back into my gown and told me that I was free to go. They also told me that the next day's appointment would be even faster because the plan was solidified now. No more need for scans and X-rays, so it would literally take less than 5-10 minutes for set up and treatment. When I got back to the changing room, my skin felt and looked fine, except for all of the random black marks and notes the techs drew on my skin. With a good scrubbing and shower, the marks came right off. It is only mildly embarrassing to leave the radiology department with basically roadsigns marked on your neck that scream, "I HAD RADIATION TODAY!" Check out my pictures after the jump:
So far, so good, but the nurses cautioned me because I am getting radiation directly over my esophagus. I will most likely develop a condition called mucositis. The radiation kills off the cilia that lines your throat and esophagus, resulting in extremely painful swallowing, sore throat and reduced saliva. I'll have to swear off eating anything crunchy, sponge-like, or spicy/hot. On the list they recommend foods such as, cream of wheat (yech), soup, smoothies, yogurt, ensure (double yech), and other easy to swallow foods. In other words: PUREED. (triple yech!!)
In addition, the radiation will be grazing my lungs, resulting in a residual cough (that may or may not go away) and reduced lung capacity. Great. Not like the Bleo (the B in ABVD) didn't already take care of that! Uhm..I'd like to get back to my normal life, including my yoga class. You can keep all of those nasty side effects. :(
No comments:
Post a Comment