Treatment Begins

It has been a month and a half since being diagnosed with cancer and much of that time has been spent  anticipating beginning my treatment to fighting this cancer.  On Monday I officially began treatment with my first session of radiation.  

As you can see by the picture above, when I enter the radiation room, I lay down on a stretcher  that has a fitted form for me to lie my head in.  Next the white mask that has been molded to the contours of my face is put over my head.  The mask is snapped into place and my head is locked down to the stretcher table.  This ensures that I do not move during the treatment and the radiation gets to the exact spot it is supposed to go.. 

After I lay down and my head is locked in place the stretcher slides into position under the machine and the technicians take two x-rays to make sure that I am positioned correctly.  Then the round dome you see in the picture moves around my head.  With a mechanical whirring noise the dome moves in a circle around my head.  Every foot or so, the dome stops and for a few seconds I hear a high pitch whining which I assume is the radiation being dispensed.  The dome than moves around to another position and whines again.  The dome seems to make a complete rotation around my head stopping six or seven times to dispense radiation. 

The whole process takes about fifteen minutes.  I don't feel anything while the radiation is being dispensed, but the nurse told me today that I might have some swelling  in my face and head for the first few days as my body adapts to the radiation.

Nothing profound or earth shaking to report, no great insights into the meaning of life and what it means to be receiving treatment for cancer. 

Just lie still, don't move and allow the radiation to fill up my head.

One radiation session down, 24 more to go.