Dress Rehearsal

Yesterday brought my Radiation Dress Rehearsal. I timed driving to the hospital, parking, walking from the parking to the hospital, getting through the screening process, taking the elevator to the basement, and walking to Radiation Oncology. Then I checked in at the front desk and was sent to a "special" waiting room for the actual radiation patients. I sat down and promptly spilled my drink, rather impressively, all over the carpeted floor. I was really nervous. Great start.

Once I got someone to help me clean us the he mess I had made, I was then directed to a changing room. Everything waist up comes off and a hospital gown goes on. Then back to the waiting room to, well, wait.

A tech came and got me and introduced me to the others on my Radiation Team. Everyone was super nice which was refreshing and a bit scary. They showed me all their monitors and screens, including those that showed how they can see me while I am literally getting the radiation and from like four different angles/cameras. They can also hear anything I say. I found all of this, once again, quite reassuring and a little scary.

I was led to a very hard table and placed into the mold that was made for me the week before. Then I was instructed to turn my head to the left so that they can adequately treat below and above my right clavicle. My tattoos were lined up to make sure that all their measurement were how they wanted.

Suddenly, I am alone in the vault. It literally is like being in a vault..... The door to the radiation room is like a foot thick. Anyways, I am alone and this four part machine slowly moves to four different stations above and to the side of me. Each part treats a different area (I think). Very futuristic, the whole thing.

About ten minutes later, they open the vault back up and I am done. Back to the changing room and back to the waiting room. I am presented with my schedule for February. A bit overwhelming but at least they give you advance notice of when you will be there. Once a week I also see the Radiation Oncologist as well.

Back out of the hospital, to the parking , and off I went. Total time: about an hour and a half, door to door.

Easy peasy. I got this!