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Radiation Set-Up - February 22 - March 19, 2024

On Thursday, February 22, I had a consultation with the radiation oncologist to discuss what to expect for the radiation treatments. Then Thursday, March 7, I went for radiation set-up. This was done in a different room from where the actual radiation is done. There they made sure I was positioned correctly on the couch (the hard table you lie on during the treatments) so that the treatments would work on the correct area each time. The technicians do this by creating a personal “pillow” for you to keep you from moving your upper body during the treatments. During this appointment they created a mold for this headrest.

 

They were able to make it a little elevated, and I was also allowed to keep my head sideways, so my vertigo would not get triggered. It helped, and I did not have any vertigo attacks during any of the treatments.

 

One technician tattooed three small dots on my midsection - one on my left side, one on the right, and one halfway between the two. They were positioned right below the last ribs. These dots are needed to make sure the body is positioned correctly each time. In the room there are green lines, like laser levelers. The lines need to line up with the tattooed dots. 

 

That appointment took about 20 minutes. There was no radiation that time, just a dry run to make sure the technicians would be able to irradiate the correct areas each time, where the surgeon had removed the tumors and lymph nodes. Now I had to wait for an appointment for the actual treatments. 

 

The day after the set-up I came down with what I thought was a cold. It got worse over the weekend with a fever of over 100* F on Sunday evening. I was supposed to get an infusion on Monday but did not think it was prudent for me to go as I was sick. So, I called the infusion center to reschedule. They asked me to go to the hospital to be tested for Covid and the flu. The Covid test came back positive. I had a bad cough and felt like I had a cold. I was told to wait ten days after the first day of the symptoms before going in for any treatments.

 

Tuesday, March 19, I went for a second set-up, this time in the actual radiation room. My personal plastic “pillow” was finished. It had indentations for my head, shoulders, and arms. There were bars above and behind my head for me to hold on to so that the areas that needed treatment would be easily accessible.



                                              One of the tattooed dots. It is about one millimeter in diameter.



The room where they took me for the treatments.
The technicians sit at the desk to the left of the door.
There are no windows, but there are cameras in the room,
and they see everything on the screens.


 The door between the room and where the technicians sit. 

It is a fat metal door. I think they are safe back there.





The radiation machine. The whole unit swings back and forth, 
and the two rectangular pieces on either side, as well as the round piece on the top move separately. 
It is fascinating to see.


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