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hutchibk · 09-17-2008, 08:33 PM

I did day 1 today. (will do a total of 5) IMRT is the actual type of treatment that I am getting. Very precise, very strong, very targeted...

I walked in to get on the table and there was confetti all over the floor - they had just had a 'final treatment celebration'. That was cool. I love my doc and the staff. It is such an uplifting place. Doesn't feel medical at all...

It went really well, in the moment, LOL. I laid snapped onto the table in my pre-formed anti-mobility mask. The robot machine rotated around me and shot 19 angled beams into 5 spots on my head. Wow. Technology is amazing. It took about 15 minutes and I was outta there. I definitely got a little bit of a salty flavor in the back of my throat a couple of times during the treatment. Wonder what caused that?

But within moments of getting off the table, I could tell that my sensitive little brain was feeling a little beat up... I was foggy. It was weird. Not bad, just weird. My cousin went to the appt. with me and he said he could tell that I seemed just an itty bit loopy (-ier than normal)...

We went and got lunch, and then he and I split off. I ran a couple of errands and then stopped at the Capitol grounds to walk for 45 min (it's become my favorite walk lately) - but I think I did about 30 min before I started to feel a little limp and lazy. I laid in the grass for 10 min and decided to drive home.

By the time I got home (20 min later) I had about 5 pretty mean little headaches going all at the same time. And I was just physically worn out. Took some motrin and laid down for a while. Now I feel a little better but I kinda feel like I felt on day 3 or 4 after Taxol/Carbo. I think these rads are gonna kick my booty a little...

Oh well. It takes what it takes, and I can take it! Tomorrow I hope I start to hear the little suckers scream!! LOL

(here's a great video about my treatment center and my doc, Dr. Dzuik. It's also really informative about the type of radiation beams and machine he works with and the what to expect in the radiation experience. He is basically Patch Adams. Everyone in the video are my nurses and technicians. He is an amazing doc, VERY popular and 90% of his staff have worked with him for 12-15 years. That speaks volumes about him. About 1/2 way through the video you will see a woman in a pink shirt laying on the table and they are putting a formed head and shoulder mask around her and snapping it to the table, that is what I have done everyday to immobilize me for my treatments. http://www.swrcc.com/services/radiation_center.htm)

Enjoy!

09-17-2008, 08:33 PM	#1
hutchibk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,519	radiation day 1 I did day 1 today. (will do a total of 5) IMRT is the actual type of treatment that I am getting. Very precise, very strong, very targeted... I walked in to get on the table and there was confetti all over the floor - they had just had a 'final treatment celebration'. That was cool. I love my doc and the staff. It is such an uplifting place. Doesn't feel medical at all... It went really well, in the moment, LOL. I laid snapped onto the table in my pre-formed anti-mobility mask. The robot machine rotated around me and shot 19 angled beams into 5 spots on my head. Wow. Technology is amazing. It took about 15 minutes and I was outta there. I definitely got a little bit of a salty flavor in the back of my throat a couple of times during the treatment. Wonder what caused that? But within moments of getting off the table, I could tell that my sensitive little brain was feeling a little beat up... I was foggy. It was weird. Not bad, just weird. My cousin went to the appt. with me and he said he could tell that I seemed just an itty bit loopy (-ier than normal)... We went and got lunch, and then he and I split off. I ran a couple of errands and then stopped at the Capitol grounds to walk for 45 min (it's become my favorite walk lately) - but I think I did about 30 min before I started to feel a little limp and lazy. I laid in the grass for 10 min and decided to drive home. By the time I got home (20 min later) I had about 5 pretty mean little headaches going all at the same time. And I was just physically worn out. Took some motrin and laid down for a while. Now I feel a little better but I kinda feel like I felt on day 3 or 4 after Taxol/Carbo. I think these rads are gonna kick my booty a little... Oh well. It takes what it takes, and I can take it! Tomorrow I hope I start to hear the little suckers scream!! LOL (here's a great video about my treatment center and my doc, Dr. Dzuik. It's also really informative about the type of radiation beams and machine he works with and the what to expect in the radiation experience. He is basically Patch Adams. Everyone in the video are my nurses and technicians. He is an amazing doc, VERY popular and 90% of his staff have worked with him for 12-15 years. That speaks volumes about him. About 1/2 way through the video you will see a woman in a pink shirt laying on the table and they are putting a formed head and shoulder mask around her and snapping it to the table, that is what I have done everyday to immobilize me for my treatments. http://www.swrcc.com/services/radiation_center.htm) Enjoy! __________________ Brenda NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...) Nov'03~ dX stage 2B Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo. Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic! Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2 Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone) Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors. Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen. Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen. June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen. Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice. Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots. Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011. Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah. "I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead." Last edited by hutchibk; 09-17-2008 at 09:11 PM..