Details about your rads

RunswithScissors

I'm getting ready for rads soon so have been reading alot here -

I noticed many of you know a lot of technical details about your treatments - a lot more info than my 

doctor has told me so far. 

I would like to learn about the process in plain english. Unfortunately, I've found that most sites that translate med-talk for you  are very vague about the details - they really give an overview and not much more.  

How do you know if your tx are considered "complex"?  

I was amazed when someone wrote that she gets daily CT scans - just in the set up process... Did I misunderstand her?  Nobody told me that!  Is the radition from the scan counted in the dose the doc told me I'd be getting on a daily basis, or in addition to it?     

Does anyone have a good info site that gives more than just a cursory description of the process? 

 

redsox

This is a good site:

http://www.rtanswers.org/

The person who wrote about getting daily CT scans was presumably getting "tomotherapy", which can allow very precise targetting of the radiation to the area at risk and better spare normal tissues.  It is not commonly used for breast cancer but is done in some facilities.  The dose from the CT is counted in the total dose if you get tomotherapy. 

cmharris59

My experience:

I had aninitial "meet and greet" with the rad onc. He examined me and discussed my previous tx. We discussed the start date and how long the tx would take. I had a f/u appt to get marked/tattooed for the rads and to have a form made. The form was really cool. They mixed up this foamy stuff and put it into a regular garbage bag and put it under me on the rad table. The rad table is similar to an MRI or PET table, just a metal table that moves you into position in the machine.

As I lay on the bag it started to heat up and swell. The techs positioned me by moving my arms and lining up the marks/tattoos with the red laser beams used to line up the patient for the rad beams. I then lay still for a few minutes while the bag swelled around me and took shape. The heat felt good to me. I did not get tattooed. I opted out. I had permanent marker marks covered with waterproof tape. They were not affected by showers during the entire 6 weeks.

After that, I went home. My next appt was my actual first rads tx. I walked into the room where the machine was located and took off my clothes from the waist up.  All of my rad techs were female and there were no males except the rad onc in the room where the techs watched me from their computer screens. The techs helped me get in position with my personal "garbage form" and lined up the lasers. Then they left the room and zapped me.  It didn't take long at all. I didn't have time to sing a song I don't think.  They can hear you and speak to you while you are getting zapped.

Afterward they came in and helped me get up and I dressed and went home.  They supplied me with some ointment to apply to the affected areas daily whether I burned or not. They also supplied a non metal deoderant that I was to use during the entire 6 wks. It worked just fine. I wore a different wig each day and I was required to remove some jewelry if it interfered, but not all. 

I hope this helps.

C