Does fabric interfere with radiation?

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mss
mss Member Posts: 10
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I don't want to squeal on the technician who's been involved in my treatment last year and this year, but something happened that has me a bit worried.

Apparently the clinic decided that one technician can do the treatment instead of the usual two. I don't know why--if they are cutting costs or if someone was sick. But for two days in a row, only one technician has been involved.

Yesterday I think he must have gotten a bit distracted, because he left the gown bunched up over the breast that was to be treated, and he uncovered the other one.  However, the way the machine operated, I'm sure that the radiation was directed in the correct place.

I am worried, however, that the fabric might have blocked or deflected some of the rays. 

I don't want to get this guy into trouble unnecessarily, but I'm concerned whether my treatment was affected.

Any thoughts?

(I was in my usual "tune it out" mental state and didn't realize what was happening until it was half over....)


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  • snorkeler
    snorkeler Member Posts: 145
    edited April 2014

    I wouldn't worry about it. During my radiation, the techs uncovered me to see the tattoos and position me on the machine. Then they covered me back up. I asked about this and they told me that radiation will go through a layer of fabric. Eventually it was obvious that the radiation was going through the gown, because I developed a sunburn-like red square around the treated breast. 

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  • mss
    mss Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2014

    Thanks!

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  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited April 2014

    My techs always made sure that my gown was back on before the rads started.

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  • mss
    mss Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2014

    That's interesting. Maybe it involves their perception of the individual patient's feelings of privacy/modesty?

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  • Bounce
    Bounce Member Posts: 574
    edited April 2014

    Insist on 2 technicians.

    I was covered during all 25 of my rads treatments but there is a reason there are supposed to be 2 technicians - to prevent mistakes (bed position etc).  Insist on it.  When you check in before your session ask if there will be t2o techs as usual.  If no ask to speak to RO before doing session.

    I had a rads technician one day who was crying - she was having a personal crisis of some kind.

    I asked politely but firmly that she be given some time to go deal with her problem and I would wait until she was behaving normally (and could see properly)  for my treatment.  I explained I had no problem with her being upset about something and that I would wait patiently for as long as she needed.

    In 2 seconds she was out the room, another techie took her place - I did my treatment , thanked everybody, sent wishes for the sad techies quick recovery and went.  No problem.  I just had to be firm but pleasant.

    Don't be shy.

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  • Notbuyingit
    Notbuyingit Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2014

    wow! i am amazed by this! I JUST asked my tech about this yesterday because it is always freezing in the the room & they always have me take my gown down off my chest - they usually cover the right for me & they do put a warm blanket over my arms. She told me the material makes the burn more intense & I do not want to go there! yet all you ladies say you are covered...

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  • corky60
    corky60 Member Posts: 726
    edited April 2014

    I had rads last year, always had two technicians and the breast getting rads was always uncovered.  They made sure that the other one was covered.  I didn't know that there was any other way.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited April 2014

    It's been 4 yrs since I had rads.  Most of the time, there were 2 techs who set me up, sometimes 1 and sometimes there were 5 or 6.   The times there were 5 or 6 were when there were students and I was asked if I minded if they were in - I don't at all.  Almost all the times I only had 1, I had a young man who had a great time with joking and just having as much fun as possible under the circumstance.  (Actually I had known him years before - he and my sons had gone to high school together and been in sports.) 

    I can not fathom how I would have allowed the wrong side to be exposed/uncovered while the side was covered and being radiated.  Someone that negligant NEEDS to be reported.  What else are they not doing correctly?  If they can't tell the difference between left and right - how can they be trusted to 'punch in' the correct settings?

    Even if it was 1/2 over when you realized the wrong side was uncovered,  why didn't you say something?  It could have been correct then.  It is our responsibility to be our best advocate.  Where I went they had very sensative audio so if something seemed 'off' all you had to do was say 'something' and have a tech in quick if needed.  

    Radiation can be deadly and someone who is 'distracted' to that point needs to be reported.  

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  • Notbuyingit
    Notbuyingit Member Posts: 1,035
    edited April 2014

    thought about this & I suppose maybe it depends on the machinery - I had a knee replacement & had x-rays at several different places - I remember one place where I didn't have to get in a gown - they took the xray right through my jeans - so maybe some of you have higher tech machinery? 

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  • melmcbee
    melmcbee Member Posts: 1,119
    edited April 2014

    The other breast was uncovered to line up the laser light with the marks that should be on you. This is done to zero or center the anatomy exactly the same everytime. I am an xray/ct tech and we xray thru clothes all of the time but there are some clothes I remove according to what Im trying to get an image of.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited April 2014

    The tattoos/marks that were used to line up my rads were on the side being radiated.  Doesn't make sense to me to line up on the other side.

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  • mss
    mss Member Posts: 10
    edited June 2014


    I do not have as much of a history here as some others, but do know what "negligent" means. If cloth or no cloth doesn't make a difference, then it's not "negligent".  I do not scare or get offended easily, in general, but when a person is in the middle of treatment, comments can be more upsetting.  

    I have 3 tattoos--one on each side of my torso so they can "level" me, and one in the center. 

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