Batter Up!

I went in this morning to Swedish's Cherry Hill campus for one of my set-up appointments for the cyberknife treatments, which should start next week. 

This morning the techs made the mask that goes over my face to keep me exactly in the right place during the 100 or so zaps of radiation that I will get at each treatment, and then I went to another department to get a CT while wearing the mask. 

I had warned my radiation oncologist, Dr. Lee the Second, that I am claustrophobic, but he said the mask has eye and nose holes and shouldn't bother me--but it doesn't have those holes while they are MAKING it. 

That did bother me a bit. The mask is a plastic mesh which is heated with warm water and then shaped tightly over your face. 

During the CT, the mask, still without its eye holes, was clamped down tight, and I had to close my eyes, breath deeply, and run some mental tapes to get through it--even though the CT itself is very quick. 

But I survived without embarrassing myself, and I go back this afternoon for an MRI of my head, also part of the planning. 

I picked up a prescription for decadron, which I will take every day that I'm getting the cyberknife treatments and for several days afterward. That's to prevent swelling at the tumor site--which could harm the nerve we are trying to save. 

Isn't this fun? 

I'll post a photo of the mask when I get a chance. Now I'm off to the drug store to fill some prescriptions and then to Swedish for my MRI.

@ Jeanne Sather 2009.  

Comments

[Teri]

Sending you good wishes from one mask-wearer to another. We really need to grab a few of those docs and mask them, just to let them know what it really feels like. Once a year- that should do the trick!