Dry run before radiation starts

June2268

What exactly does that entail? 

3monstmama

I think you do everything but get zapped.  And they go over the care and feeding of the boobies post zapping. Mine is scheduled for March 22 with first zap on March 23d.

Have you checked with the March Rad group to see what people who have already started say?

Jelson

Is this for normal as opposed to mammosite radiation? If so, Have you gotten marked up for the radiation yet? If not, that will be done - either tattoo or sharpie and then they actually take the equipment through the motions of giving you your own unique radiation zaps lining it up according to your marks/tattoos. My sense of it was that they have to get the angles right, where the beams?! reach you. You will lie on the table as you will when you get the radiation. Some women have a form created for them? I didn't. I held onto a bar over my head.They need to figure out where exactly on the table you will need to be positioned for your radiation treatments. The sense I had was the machinery moved around me into position, then like metal curtains behind a glass window in the machine opened up and zapped for a few seconds, then the machine moved around again and this was repeated from a different angle - zap. I only got two zaps, I believe that others might get more. The dry run also gives you the opportunity to scope out where you get your gown(s), where you change, where the lockers are for your clothes/purse, where you will sit to wait before being called for your treatment. I brought my 100% aloe vera into the changing room with me and slathered it on when I was getting dressed after the treatment.

Good luck

Julie E

June2268

Thank you ladies I appreciate a quick response and so very detailed......3monstmama I have no idea as to why I did not ask the March rads group as I am on there quite often.....huge brain fart already and I have no reason as of yet....lol.....  speaking of lol I often find myself LMAO at some of your posts, you have such good humor about you......I think all the women would agree with me.....the thing I hate is I have to wait till Wed to get my schedule even though I told them I couldn't do earlier than 3:30 they end up scheduling my dry run at 10:00.....don't people realize how hard it is for most people to get time off....I do feel fortunate that it is only 10 minutes away and I know others travel sometimes over an hour, but it just annoys me that cant give me a heads up so I can give people a heads up......

MariannaLaFrance

I went for my "dry run" on Wednesday. I start RADS on Monday, every day at 3:30 for 6.5 weeks. They basically made me do a CAT scan, then I sat under the radiation equipment with my arm up in a sling while they positioned the radiation and marked me up with a Sharpie. No tats for me. I have blue lines which are slightly smudged now, with a small, very itchy sticker on the two most important spots. (?) Slightly nervous about starting the radiation, and got a very stern talking to from my doc after I asked him why I couldn't have a tattoo since I like to work out. He says Sharpies are standard at MD Anderson Cancer center, so that's what they will use. Easier to see.