First Radiation

Tuesday was the day I received my first treatment of radiation. They also finished mapping on this day so it was a much longer appointment. I am completing my radiation therapy at the IMC campus in the Huntsman Cancer building. It is a long way to drive, but I thought since they are such a new facility they would have all the best equipment.

I got to IMC, checked in on the screen, went to the closet and got a gown and changed in the dressing room. I left my things in a locker and patiently waited for them to call my name. After about 5 minutes they came and took me back to this very large room with one bed and a very large machine. I was asked to slip my right arm out of the gown which for me was easier said than done. There were three people with me and I was trying to be as modest as possible. They had me lay down on the table and then they began moving me with the sheet to line up the tattoos with the  red laser lines coming out of the walls and the ceiling. I have three tattoos down the middle of my chest and one on each side of my chest. They are small dots and look kind of like a freckle.

Since they were still mapping they took x-rays which will allow for faster treatments. The radiation therapist (yes they call themselves therapists) came out with a red Sharpie and drew on my right side while calling out numbers to the staff i.e. 98.2 lateral. When he was finished I had a drawing on my right side that showed me the area they would radiate. Since I did choose to radiate the lymph node area the red marks were up on my clavicle and around on my back, it is a pretty big area. The doctor then came in and looked at me and said that looks good.

Everyone left the room and the machine moved around me. There are louvers in the machine that open and close to allow targeted radiation to the areas they have marked. It is really kind of interesting. After about 10 minutes of this the therapist came in and said you are done. It was a 1/2 hour appointment and I was through mapping and through with my first treatment.

My second treatment was today. Same thing check in, change into a gown, wait for them to call you. I have to say that they are right on time. My appointment is at 11:00 am every day and they are calling my name at 11:00 am. I went back to the big room again. They positioned me on the table, left the room and after about 10 minutes I was done.I arrived there at 10:50 and left at 11:10, pretty fast.


I have 28 more treatments so if no serious side effects occur I should be finished with this part of my treatment on February 21. Yes I do know the exact day.

I have been asked if after all this they will run a test to see if the cancer is gone. Unfortunately it is not that easy. I will not be considered to be in remission until I have had no other occurrences of cancer for five years. There is no magic test to see if it is all gone, it would be nice if there was.