One week down... two and a half more to go

I started radiation therapy on Monday. The week just flew by for me. I can't believe I'm already done with almost 1/3 of my radiation. At this point, unless more are added, I will have a total of 17 treatments. I go to Froedtert Hospital for treatment every weekday at 10:45am. I will see a doctor each Monday after treatment. I think the original doctor I met with, Dr. Schultz, is unavailable this month, so I am scheduled to see a Dr. Gore instead.

At my first treatment on Monday, they took multiple x-rays, scans and eventually, gave me the radiation. It took close to an hour for everything, which was a long time because I was laying on the table with my head locked in place by the mesh mask that was made at the planning session a couple weeks back. It didn't help that they had trouble taking one of the x-rays and also had to readjust where I was laying on the table in order to give me the radiation. After the appointment, I had imprints on my forehead from the mesh mask. They didn't go away for hours!

This is what my face looks like immediately after each treatment due to the mask.

My treatments on Tuesday and Thursday would have been fine except that their computer crashed while I was on the table. Luckily it happened before the actual radiation part started. My treatment today was perfect. I was on time for my appointment at 10:45am and was back in my car by 11:05am. Here is what happens at each appointment:

• There are multiple technicians involved in administering the treatment, usually three of them each day. Although I don't see the same three every day, I have seen most of them at least 2-3 times this week. There are a couple women most often and during the last couple days, a male student as well.
  
• After one of the techs walks me from the waiting room to the treatment room, I lay on the table and get situated so the back of my head and neck sits on a plastic holder.
• A cushion gets put under my knees and I am given a ring to hold onto so that my hands are resting on my stomach.
• The mesh mask is placed over my face and is clampsed onto the table so that it stays in place. Usually during this process, I have to adjust the angle of my head and neck so that my face fits into the mask just right. The mask feels tight all over, especially on my forehead and chin. I can understand why some people feel claustrophobic because of it. I don't love the feeling of being locked in place, but I deal with it fine.
• The table is raised and moved into a specific position.
• The technicians leave the room and a CT scan is done. This scan helps them ensure that the radiation is directed at the right area.
• After the scan, a tech moves the table into a different position and leaves the room again. Now the first dose of radiation comes. I believe (but never confirmed) that this dose comes upwards from underneath me. I would say this first dose lasts about 20-30 seconds. The machine makes a buzzing/screeching noise when the radiation is happening. I wish that it didn't.
• After the first dose of radiation, a technician comes back in, moves the table to yet another position, and then leaves. The machine also rotates it's position so that part of it is over my left side. Again, I haven't asked, but I believe now the machine is directing the radiation down at me, from the front of my neck toward the back. Just like the first dose, the machine makes the buzzing noise while the radiation is happening. The second dose seems to take longer than the first dose, but still probably only around 30 seconds at the most.
• At this point I am all done. A technician takes the mask off my face, removes the knee rest, and walks me out to the exit.
• On a good day, like today, where the computer isn't crashing, this whole process only takes approximately 15 minutes.

So far, I don't think I have experienced any major side effects. I have had a weird taste in my mouth the last few days, so I'm pretty sure that is from the radiation. Other than that, I feel fine. I really can't believe that I'm already one week into treatment. I'm so excited that I'm almost done with treatment for cancer and that I will be able to really start looking for a job again. I feel bored and lonely all the time and I can't wait for things to get back to normal somewhat.