ELEKTA LINEAR ACCELERATOR

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Linda C.
Linda C. Member Posts: 107 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

FIRST OF 35 RADIATION TREATMENTS SCHEDULED TO START TOMORROW

Received a call from the Cancer Center.  I was set up for a practice run-through and a Verification of measurements today at 3:30.  I finally got to meet Elekta, the Linear Accelerator.  When I entered the Mother Ship - LOL, there it was in all its glory.  It is indeed a foreign, alien, space-age looking machine.  But I think about it as the  machine that will save my life.  

I had to wear the mask and it was a little tight around my throat and took a while before I could manage to arrange my head where I could swallow.  Then the procedure began.  The machine made one rotation and paused several times during the process.  This took about 10 minutes then I was finished.  I could fully open my eyes this time and clearly see what was happening.  The mask around my eyes was not as tight as when I had it molded. 

So tomorrow I take my first Radiation Treatment that will last 15 minutes.  Ten minutes wasn't so bad - so I imagine 15 minutes won't be as hard as I had imagined it might be.  Of course I attribute all this positive attitude to my friend Xanax... which I took two .5 mg. and hour prior to  my appointment and will continue to do so throughout treatment.    All in all it took 30 minutes for the explanation from the techs and then the process. I was told that tomorrow there will be no photos taken but will go straight to the treatment.   I was very relieved. 

I was able to drive myself home with no problems.  I live only 5 minutes from the clinic.  I may continue to do this till I feel too weak to do so. 

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  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    #2
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    Technology is amazing

    and somewhat scary as well.  I experienced the same issues as you and find that 'mother ship' analogy very apt.  You look at that monsterous machine and wonder what it will do.

    I found it easy to do, I was able to drive myself to the first 10 sessions, but by that tenth session I had developed sufficient pain that I needed to take prescription meds.  Fatigue didn't really come into play until the 4th week.

    I had used a number of things as distractions, music in the earlier days, timing and counting the machine moves, how long the linear accellerator would run, trying to estimate the size of the main power contactor that you'd hear go 'clunk' when it activated the accellerator. 

    it got to the point that I was doing math in my head to distract me while I was getting 'fried'.  I'd do percentages in terms of completed moves, treatments, time elapsed, time remaining all to keep calm and focused while I was 'beamed up'.

    Good luck with treatments, time does pass quickly (or so it seems) and it won't be long before you too will be ringing the bell

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