How to overcome Radiation Mask fear? or unable to breath?

2

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    edbravo said:

    Thank you Everyone

    I went through the Mask today and with all your advices and encouragements, I made it through the 1st round of 35 radations. The Xanax really helped to calm me down, especially it lowered my fast beating heart. The doctor made a bigger nose-hole on my mask so that I could breath better, however he did not recommend cutting the mouth or eyes away because according to him the structure of the mask may go out of shape, furthermore the planning and measurrements may change (have to be re-do) and the mask might expended when they strach it to buckle it down to the table, in which the rads-ray may not hit the right spots. Anyway, thank you everyone for answering my questions and helping me through this period. Appreciate it and may god bless you all. Laughing

    Cool Deal....

    Good news to get through...

    The measurments are like to the millimeter, so any alterations, weight lose, etc that could change that would need addressed... You don't want any rads hitting in areas that aren't needed....

    Several of us had to have new masks made during treatment as a result of weight loss....

    John

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    Skiffin16 said:

    Cool Deal....

    Good news to get through...

    The measurments are like to the millimeter, so any alterations, weight lose, etc that could change that would need addressed... You don't want any rads hitting in areas that aren't needed....

    Several of us had to have new masks made during treatment as a result of weight loss....

    John

    Willing to bet also at least

    Willing to bet also at least in my case as the swelling in face goes down will need a couple of new masks.Will know tommorrow as I have a meeting with the radiation team.Was told it would be about 3hrs not  sure why.

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member

    Willing to bet also at least

    Willing to bet also at least in my case as the swelling in face goes down will need a couple of new masks.Will know tommorrow as I have a meeting with the radiation team.Was told it would be about 3hrs not  sure why.

    Waffle Face...

    As to an idea how tight the mask is..., myself, Dawn and others would come out of a session with waffle marks across our foreheads....

    JG

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    Skiffin16 said:

    Waffle Face...

    As to an idea how tight the mask is..., myself, Dawn and others would come out of a session with waffle marks across our foreheads....

    JG

    Waffle Skiffin

    Skiffin,

    I can still see it (on you)

    Matt

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    edbravo said:

    Thank you Everyone

    I went through the Mask today and with all your advices and encouragements, I made it through the 1st round of 35 radations. The Xanax really helped to calm me down, especially it lowered my fast beating heart. The doctor made a bigger nose-hole on my mask so that I could breath better, however he did not recommend cutting the mouth or eyes away because according to him the structure of the mask may go out of shape, furthermore the planning and measurrements may change (have to be re-do) and the mask might expended when they strach it to buckle it down to the table, in which the rads-ray may not hit the right spots. Anyway, thank you everyone for answering my questions and helping me through this period. Appreciate it and may god bless you all. Laughing

    edbravo, very happy for you

    edbravo, very happy for you that you got thru it w/o any problems.  this group is really good at helping to go thru this journey with as few problems and side effects as possible.  we all try to help each other.  i hope your other 34 are as smooth as this one was.  let us know about your progress.

    dj

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    CivilMatt said:

    Waffle Skiffin

    Skiffin,

    I can still see it (on you)

    Matt

    Tennis Racket

    That's from the tennis racket after teasing my wife too much...

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63

    edbravo, very happy for you

    edbravo, very happy for you that you got thru it w/o any problems.  this group is really good at helping to go thru this journey with as few problems and side effects as possible.  we all try to help each other.  i hope your other 34 are as smooth as this one was.  let us know about your progress.

    dj

    Thank you very much debdie and

    Thank you very much debie and others. I am so glad to have kind people like you're all to help others like us going through this moment. I appreciate alot and my 2nd radiation went so well today.Laughing Without this forum i would have been lost. Thanks AGAIN!!! 

  • Steve5
    Steve5 Member Posts: 147
    edbravo said:

    Thank you very much debdie and

    Thank you very much debie and others. I am so glad to have kind people like you're all to help others like us going through this moment. I appreciate alot and my 2nd radiation went so well today.Laughing Without this forum i would have been lost. Thanks AGAIN!!! 

    mask and treatments

    Edbravo - the mask was "semi-terrifying" to me when I had it made, that is what I told my wife when I came out of it - for treatments I took a little valium about 20 minutes before treatment, it worked, I also asked the tech to talk me through it - I asked them to let me know the stage we were at - I was on the table for about 10 minutes and the would say - "okay doing scan, scan looks good - first treatment, second treatment, last one - done we are coming in to take the mask off" they did this for me everyday for 35 days - the last two weeks I didn't need the valium anymore - I never watched the treatment - after I laid down on the table I would close my eyes and not open them until they had unbuckled the mask and lifted it up - that was my way of getting through it every morning for 35 mornings - be strong you can do it - as Don says it is rough but you can get through it - one other thing I did was think about the renovation project at my house that I was going to do  - the kitchen and dining room - I thought about it almost the entire time on the table and visualized the projedt from start to end, every day - you can do it

    All the best and keep writing with anything you need to ask, talk about or vent

    Steve

    Finished Jan 17th with treatments and waiting for scan april 14th

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    Steve5 said:

    mask and treatments

    Edbravo - the mask was "semi-terrifying" to me when I had it made, that is what I told my wife when I came out of it - for treatments I took a little valium about 20 minutes before treatment, it worked, I also asked the tech to talk me through it - I asked them to let me know the stage we were at - I was on the table for about 10 minutes and the would say - "okay doing scan, scan looks good - first treatment, second treatment, last one - done we are coming in to take the mask off" they did this for me everyday for 35 days - the last two weeks I didn't need the valium anymore - I never watched the treatment - after I laid down on the table I would close my eyes and not open them until they had unbuckled the mask and lifted it up - that was my way of getting through it every morning for 35 mornings - be strong you can do it - as Don says it is rough but you can get through it - one other thing I did was think about the renovation project at my house that I was going to do  - the kitchen and dining room - I thought about it almost the entire time on the table and visualized the projedt from start to end, every day - you can do it

    All the best and keep writing with anything you need to ask, talk about or vent

    Steve

    Finished Jan 17th with treatments and waiting for scan april 14th

    Fitted for mask on monday

    Fitted for mask on monday they said they will call when to come in for thier dry run.I didn't have to much of a problem with the fitting my problem was as I layed there had trouble with slightly gaging.Started even before they layed the mask on.Not sure if was laying flat on my back or head tited slightly with trach tube in or what.But couldn't stop slightly coughing don't think it was enough to stop the ct scan they did.Like Steve took my mind elsewhere but could feel a tickle in throat the whole time.

  • Coldinohio
    Coldinohio Member Posts: 14

    Fitted for mask on monday

    Fitted for mask on monday they said they will call when to come in for thier dry run.I didn't have to much of a problem with the fitting my problem was as I layed there had trouble with slightly gaging.Started even before they layed the mask on.Not sure if was laying flat on my back or head tited slightly with trach tube in or what.But couldn't stop slightly coughing don't think it was enough to stop the ct scan they did.Like Steve took my mind elsewhere but could feel a tickle in throat the whole time.

    Fitted my mask on Tuesday

    Went on Tuesday morning for my mask fitting and ct. The worst part for me was the junk in the back of my throat that I could not swallow, other than that I just closed my eyes and tried to go to my happy place!

  • txpipeliner
    txpipeliner Member Posts: 33

    Fitted my mask on Tuesday

    Went on Tuesday morning for my mask fitting and ct. The worst part for me was the junk in the back of my throat that I could not swallow, other than that I just closed my eyes and tried to go to my happy place!

    fitted for mask on 3-20-14

    hi all , well anothe sole here on CSN website reading and learing about my condition. i have squamous cell carcinoma. i had my upper rite jaw bone with cancer, they removed half of the bone and half of my palate. i now have a hole in roof of my mouth. they have made me a prosthesis that fills in the hole. i go to get radiation treatments on 3-27-14. thank you for all the information on this site.

  • Mikemetz
    Mikemetz Member Posts: 465 Member

    Fitted my mask on Tuesday

    Went on Tuesday morning for my mask fitting and ct. The worst part for me was the junk in the back of my throat that I could not swallow, other than that I just closed my eyes and tried to go to my happy place!

    Your happy place

    I'm not 100% sure but there seems to be more questions and stories around "The mask" than any other topic on the board.  Your strategy to get in your happy place during the treatments is a good one.  First, take the meds if that's needed.  I took them for the first 5-6 times and then was calm enough not to need them the rest of the way.  Once strapped in, I went into my "long flight zone."  When I have long flights, I don't think about anything that might make the flight seem longer. Same thing on the rads table--I just zoned out, ignoring anything that might clue me to how much time was left after each session started.  When it was over, it was over.

    As for cutouts, my mask pressed hard against the swollen area around the tumor and I went white-knuckle in no time.  The techs were great and made a cutout so there was no pressure on that area.

    Good luck with this part of your journey.

    mike

     

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member

    fitted for mask on 3-20-14

    hi all , well anothe sole here on CSN website reading and learing about my condition. i have squamous cell carcinoma. i had my upper rite jaw bone with cancer, they removed half of the bone and half of my palate. i now have a hole in roof of my mouth. they have made me a prosthesis that fills in the hole. i go to get radiation treatments on 3-27-14. thank you for all the information on this site.

    txpipeliner, so sorry you are

    txpipeliner, so sorry you are going thru the battle and wanted to welcome you to our family.  we will all be here for you as you go along.  there are several others who have had the same type of cancer and lost half of their jaw.  i'm sure they will chime in.  i hope you will come back often and please keep us posted on your progress.

    God bless you,

    dj

  • CathyHorner
    CathyHorner Member Posts: 29
    counted

    I counted the "zaps" so I knew how many more to go, kept my mind busy. I had a lot of congestion towards the end so trying not to cough was kinda miserable.

  • robertjuy
    robertjuy Member Posts: 45
    what my wife did

    My wife performed like a champ. We still have the mask as a badge of honor in our house. She did it for me and my son. For some reason she did not care and stayed still during the radiation. She was told that some people get clostrophobic and throw up from the mouth guard. I surily would have thrown up. I have a very quick gag reflex. She did too. but she said to herself, screw this I'm going to have to do this over and over.

  • omnedon
    omnedon Member Posts: 10
    meds

    I had to take zoloft and ativan everyday at the end the mask loosened up so much they talked about refitting me but I got by without having to go through it again.

  • txpipeliner
    txpipeliner Member Posts: 33
    omnedon said:

    meds

    I had to take zoloft and ativan everyday at the end the mask loosened up so much they talked about refitting me but I got by without having to go through it again.

    zoloft/ativan

    well i made it thtu first day of RT yesterday, with a lot of nervous feelings, the teck,said i would be seeing DR. today i am sure going to ask, for some meds. to take. i tryed to open my eyes yesterday buy mask is so tight i could not do it. 34 more days to go.

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710

    zoloft/ativan

    well i made it thtu first day of RT yesterday, with a lot of nervous feelings, the teck,said i would be seeing DR. today i am sure going to ask, for some meds. to take. i tryed to open my eyes yesterday buy mask is so tight i could not do it. 34 more days to go.

    The Radioactive Man

    American Friends if you google a blog by a guy called Theo the radioactive man - afraid don't know how to put a link on via my phone - it does give an amusing spin to the mask! I will reserve j

     

    udgement as I have this to come. Sedate or not sedate?

  • KB56
    KB56 Member Posts: 318 Member
    Guzzle said:

    The Radioactive Man

    American Friends if you google a blog by a guy called Theo the radioactive man - afraid don't know how to put a link on via my phone - it does give an amusing spin to the mask! I will reserve j

     

    udgement as I have this to come. Sedate or not sedate?

    Theo

    Guzzle, I found the Theo The Radioactive Man and really enjoyed reading it and it was pretty darn accurate.   I thought his wife's section was good as well.   Thanks for forwarding and good luck as you start the treatment.

     

    Keith

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    KB56 said:

    Theo

    Guzzle, I found the Theo The Radioactive Man and really enjoyed reading it and it was pretty darn accurate.   I thought his wife's section was good as well.   Thanks for forwarding and good luck as you start the treatment.

     

    Keith

    Went in for my rads and came

    Went in for my rads and came out needing new mask.The mask didn't fit right and as my swelling has gone down they ended up making me a new mask.And the bummer was having to go though the whole routine again.Was a long day with my it being a drug day also.Then had to have IV with dye again which they missed the vein twice and then the mask was wayyy to hot to put it on.Had them cut holes before it dried hard.If you cut it after it will spring open wider which it did the first time.But the plus side to it was that the swelling is going down all the time.