husband getting mask made in the am, any helpful hints

janetluvsron
janetluvsron Member Posts: 116
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

hello,

ron is going in the am to get his mask made for the radiation treatments.

any helpful hints to prepare for or ask them for?

thankyou

janet

Comments

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    #2
    Small Openings

    Janet,

    After the mask is made and sets up. Ron may want to ask them to make small cuts to the Mask for his eyes and mouth. The first time I had the radiation after the fitting process, it felt pretty tight and I usually don't panic, but it caused me to get antsy. The Tech noticed and asked if I needed the eyes clear and the mouth section cut away as well. It made a world of difference for me. The rest of the Radiation treatments went better once I was a bit more comfortable.

    My Best to Both of You and Everyone Here

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    Getting the mask made

    felt the same to me, as it did Matt....warm, wet washcloth.....Also, like Matt.... I took 1/2 tab of Lorazipam about a half hour before getting on the table so was pretty darn relaxed.  My appointment was at 3:00 everyday, and I'd sleep when I got home till about 6:30...

    It was the day my mask was made that I realized this was all really happening....not just a bad dream, not just pretend, or "what if".....

    p

  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    #4
    Echoing others

    The fitting for the mask is just like everyone is saying, the put you on the table, and put what feels like a warm, maybe hot (it felt that way to me) over your face and then secure the mask to the table.  The mesh sets up hard pretty quickly.  I wish I had asked to have the eye holes trimmed open, it put so much pressure on my right eye that after treatments that eye was blurry for an hour after treatments.  I had a serious case of squished nose and it only became a problem later in treatments after the dry mouth raised it ugly head.  I had to work at it to breathe through my nose.

    I was able to handle treatments without the lorazipam by doing some mental gymnastics.  I would time the machine moves and 'zaps' and then do math on the percentage done, the percentage remaining, and when they did the extra mapping and progress checks, I worked on the remaining seconds of treatments. 

    It will be a challenge, but it is something that he will be able to do.

  • janetluvsron
    janetluvsron Member Posts: 116
    #5
    phrannie51 said:

    Getting the mask made

    felt the same to me, as it did Matt....warm, wet washcloth.....Also, like Matt.... I took 1/2 tab of Lorazipam about a half hour before getting on the table so was pretty darn relaxed.  My appointment was at 3:00 everyday, and I'd sleep when I got home till about 6:30...

    It was the day my mask was made that I realized this was all really happening....not just a bad dream, not just pretend, or "what if".....

    p

    thankyou matt and phranni and

    thankyou matt and phranni and everyone,

    high anxiety today and thats just me, ron is quiet. I hope he talks once we drop our lil one off at a friends house.

    I asked him if he needed a xanax and he said he couldnt take it cause he was "on call". That damn job.

    I cant believe he is still wrapped up in that damn job. I really dont know how he is going to get by when he goes out on short term disbility.

    He can be a gruff old bear, but I have never seen him sick , barely, in the 32 years I have known him. We just celebrated our 30th.

    hell, I will take the xanax. lol

    will let you know how things go, we have a day full of drs appts and schedule setting. should be exhausting mentally.

    So glad you all are there to help me get him thru this.

    god bless you all,

    janet

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #6
    Check this out...

    Hi Janet,

    The others have given good advice. The only thing I'll tell you is that the mask will be tighter the actual day of treatment as it will harden and set more after today. I wasn't allowed to cut holes in my mask. However, other than the initial "Damn, this is really tight" moment when we actually started it wasn't that bad. For a while I used Afrin before going for treatment as my nose was stuffy. It helped me to breathe. 

    Check this thread out http://csn.cancer.org/node/186155  

    Good Luck today! Positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

  • ET@cowboy
    ET@cowboy Member Posts: 15
    #7
    janetluvsron said:

    thankyou matt and phranni and

    thankyou matt and phranni and everyone,

    high anxiety today and thats just me, ron is quiet. I hope he talks once we drop our lil one off at a friends house.

    I asked him if he needed a xanax and he said he couldnt take it cause he was "on call". That damn job.

    I cant believe he is still wrapped up in that damn job. I really dont know how he is going to get by when he goes out on short term disbility.

    He can be a gruff old bear, but I have never seen him sick , barely, in the 32 years I have known him. We just celebrated our 30th.

    hell, I will take the xanax. lol

    will let you know how things go, we have a day full of drs appts and schedule setting. should be exhausting mentally.

    So glad you all are there to help me get him thru this.

    god bless you all,

    janet

    Mask

    Howdy  Janet, The Mask may or not be difficult. I hope for him it goes easy. The first and second days are always the worst. I never had claustrophobia (spelling?) till I met the mask.  Every day for seven weeks the best part of my day was when they removed the mask after RAD. My last two sessions I fell asleep. As far as the job goes he'll soon realize there are more important things than the job. After 23 years in Law enforcement cancer changed everything. I realized everyone but me was in control during treatment.  I had three surgeries and radiation. I just finished up last week. I am still suffering, but as everyone will tell you,  it will get better. He will learn to follow your orders as well as the medical staff's direction. Hang in there. I feel like it is harder on the caregivers than the ones with cancer. Direct him towards this site. I don't post a lot but it helps to read what others say who have been there before. Remain positive for him.

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #8
    fishmanpa said:

    Check this out...

    Hi Janet,

    The others have given good advice. The only thing I'll tell you is that the mask will be tighter the actual day of treatment as it will harden and set more after today. I wasn't allowed to cut holes in my mask. However, other than the initial "Damn, this is really tight" moment when we actually started it wasn't that bad. For a while I used Afrin before going for treatment as my nose was stuffy. It helped me to breathe. 

    Check this thread out http://csn.cancer.org/node/186155  

    Good Luck today! Positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

    Janet

    The tech told me it would feel like I was getting a facial and that is exactly what it felt like. My mask and the actual tx everyday did not bother me...it was the side effects that kicked my rear. My mask had the eyes and mouth cut out and I'm especially glad it had the eye holes. If not having the mouth cut out would have helped lessen the lip sores, I would have been all for that. Best wishes that your husband has an easy journey.

    Candi

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #9
    mask time

     

    Janet,

    Tell him to take a deep breath and relax.  It is  a little confining but easy.  The techs are very good at helping you get through it.  All you do is lay back while they lay what feels like a warm wash cloth over your face, you hold the pose for a minute or so and you are done.

    During rad treatments I took 1 Lorazapam daily for anxiety. It helped me through every treatment.  As you get ready to start treatments we all have a lot of hints which help.

    Happy fitting,

    Matt

     

  • janetluvsron
    janetluvsron Member Posts: 116
    #10
    hwt said:

    Janet

    The tech told me it would feel like I was getting a facial and that is exactly what it felt like. My mask and the actual tx everyday did not bother me...it was the side effects that kicked my rear. My mask had the eyes and mouth cut out and I'm especially glad it had the eye holes. If not having the mouth cut out would have helped lessen the lip sores, I would have been all for that. Best wishes that your husband has an easy journey.

    Candi

    survived

    He survived the mask fitting. athey cut out some eye holes for him.

    Had to be re-scoped. poked and squeezed. They found another positive lymph node. put his rads up to 39 now.

    Will see oncologist next week. plan is to start actual treatments june 10th

     

    Thankyou all for your info.

    just totally mentally exhausted at this moment.

    will talk with you all later.

     

    Janet

  • cadharose
    cadharose Member Posts: 52
    #11
    My experience with the mask

    My experience with the mask was that getting the mask made was easy; they simply take a wet sheet of plastic mesh, soak it in hot water (like bathtub temperature water, not too hot) and then lay it over your face. As it cools it conforms to your face and they press on it with their hands to shrink it up. That was it and it only took between about 5 minutes. Didn't bother me at all.

    The part that DID bother me A LOT was when I had wear the totally dried and shrunk mask for the first time when I went for a PET scan a few days after it had been made. My story and advice are below:

    I freaked out badly about the mask the first time they went to put it on me. They tried to put it on me three times and each time I ripped it off and bolted upright. The tech was scared I was going to fling myself off the table. Fortunately, that was just for the PET scan and so they let me do it without the mask on that occasion. After that I went home and resolved in my mind that I would deal with it. I practiced putting my son's ski mask on and then lying down on my bed and pulling it tight around my head. I thought if I can deal with this I can deal with that. One is cloth, one is plastic and a little stiffer and that's the only real difference. And it worked! They also cut eye holes and a mouth hole and stretched out the neck area for me. But the eye holes might as well not be there because I always keep my eyes closed the entire time. I also flush out my sinuses and drink lots of water right before treatment so I don't have thick saliva or junk in my nasal passages. Every time I have to wear mine I have Ativan in me, plus I have pain medication and antihistamines in my system, and the combination of it all helps me to really relax when I'm on the table. I bring in my CDs of my favorite relaxing music to listen to. Plus, they scheduled my rad time for late in the afternoon which is the time I'm usually ready for a nap anyway. Now, the mask is no problem at all. In fact, I'm usually dozing and so comfortable by the time it's over and wish I could have a few minutes more.  At this point, I consider wearing the mask for the radiation to be the easiest part of my treatment.

     

  • janetluvsron
    janetluvsron Member Posts: 116
    #12
    cadharose said:

    My experience with the mask

    My experience with the mask was that getting the mask made was easy; they simply take a wet sheet of plastic mesh, soak it in hot water (like bathtub temperature water, not too hot) and then lay it over your face. As it cools it conforms to your face and they press on it with their hands to shrink it up. That was it and it only took between about 5 minutes. Didn't bother me at all.

    The part that DID bother me A LOT was when I had wear the totally dried and shrunk mask for the first time when I went for a PET scan a few days after it had been made. My story and advice are below:

    I freaked out badly about the mask the first time they went to put it on me. They tried to put it on me three times and each time I ripped it off and bolted upright. The tech was scared I was going to fling myself off the table. Fortunately, that was just for the PET scan and so they let me do it without the mask on that occasion. After that I went home and resolved in my mind that I would deal with it. I practiced putting my son's ski mask on and then lying down on my bed and pulling it tight around my head. I thought if I can deal with this I can deal with that. One is cloth, one is plastic and a little stiffer and that's the only real difference. And it worked! They also cut eye holes and a mouth hole and stretched out the neck area for me. But the eye holes might as well not be there because I always keep my eyes closed the entire time. I also flush out my sinuses and drink lots of water right before treatment so I don't have thick saliva or junk in my nasal passages. Every time I have to wear mine I have Ativan in me, plus I have pain medication and antihistamines in my system, and the combination of it all helps me to really relax when I'm on the table. I bring in my CDs of my favorite relaxing music to listen to. Plus, they scheduled my rad time for late in the afternoon which is the time I'm usually ready for a nap anyway. Now, the mask is no problem at all. In fact, I'm usually dozing and so comfortable by the time it's over and wish I could have a few minutes more.  At this point, I consider wearing the mask for the radiation to be the easiest part of my treatment.

     

    thankyou,
    If it was me going

    thankyou,

    If it was me going thru this i would have to be put to sleep probably, ton seems to be a trooper.

    I was sitting and waiting in the lobby for him and all I could think about was a post I read on another thread and kept hoping that

    person had a good day.

    How was you chemo today cadharose? kept you in my prayers today.

    janet

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