andynap
Senior Insider
Deb Gets Nuked!!!
Had my CT/planning session yesterday. What an afternoon ! More
poking/prodding/tatooing. The tumour is isolated. The radiologist is
quite positive that the radiation treatment will not affect the lung
tissue or the spinal cord (let's not go there - my face went white when
he mentioned that - not the spinal cord, too !!). After the planning
session, he decided that one mega dose of radiation will be all I need
right now. I go in on December 17. As for side effects, definitely
fatigue (what's new) and that should be it. I have to take a steroid
the day of the treatment and for three days after. Apparently the major
side of effect of the one session treatment is "pain flare" which can
occur anywhere from the day after to one to two weeks after. Quite
intense pain at the site of the tumour.. The hope is that the steroids
will reduce the pain and maybe eliminate it altogether (not with my luck
!). He also gave me a pain killer prescription which I'm to fill and
pop as soon as I feel any pain. I'm not concerned about it. You can
withstand any amount of pain when you know its short-term.
I arrive on time. Met my radiologist. Then met an inttern and
discussed the whole thing again. Then met with a student who is
studying radiation and its effects. More discussion and questions.
Then the technologist came in. More discussion. Holy cow ! Just let
me have the CT scan so I can get out of here ! The CT/planning took 40
minutes. Lying on a rock hard table, felt like the airconditioning was
blasting and whoever taught this technician how to adjust a body on this
table and give a tatoo was not a good teacher. At the end of the whole
thing she apologized for hurting me all the time. I just smiled at her
and as we walked out of the room, I put my arm around her and said,
"Hon, try to remember that we aren't those plastic dummies you worked on
while training. A light, gentle touch will work wonders as will the odd
smile here and there." Hopefully, she'll rmember this when she attaacks
her next vicitim.
So, that's it for now. Where this will take me, I have no idea. We
hope it stops the growth or shrinks it or kills it. Either way, the
pain should go away and that's a plus.
Deb
Had my CT/planning session yesterday. What an afternoon ! More
poking/prodding/tatooing. The tumour is isolated. The radiologist is
quite positive that the radiation treatment will not affect the lung
tissue or the spinal cord (let's not go there - my face went white when
he mentioned that - not the spinal cord, too !!). After the planning
session, he decided that one mega dose of radiation will be all I need
right now. I go in on December 17. As for side effects, definitely
fatigue (what's new) and that should be it. I have to take a steroid
the day of the treatment and for three days after. Apparently the major
side of effect of the one session treatment is "pain flare" which can
occur anywhere from the day after to one to two weeks after. Quite
intense pain at the site of the tumour.. The hope is that the steroids
will reduce the pain and maybe eliminate it altogether (not with my luck
!). He also gave me a pain killer prescription which I'm to fill and
pop as soon as I feel any pain. I'm not concerned about it. You can
withstand any amount of pain when you know its short-term.
I arrive on time. Met my radiologist. Then met an inttern and
discussed the whole thing again. Then met with a student who is
studying radiation and its effects. More discussion and questions.
Then the technologist came in. More discussion. Holy cow ! Just let
me have the CT scan so I can get out of here ! The CT/planning took 40
minutes. Lying on a rock hard table, felt like the airconditioning was
blasting and whoever taught this technician how to adjust a body on this
table and give a tatoo was not a good teacher. At the end of the whole
thing she apologized for hurting me all the time. I just smiled at her
and as we walked out of the room, I put my arm around her and said,
"Hon, try to remember that we aren't those plastic dummies you worked on
while training. A light, gentle touch will work wonders as will the odd
smile here and there." Hopefully, she'll rmember this when she attaacks
her next vicitim.
So, that's it for now. Where this will take me, I have no idea. We
hope it stops the growth or shrinks it or kills it. Either way, the
pain should go away and that's a plus.
Deb
