Saturday, September 16, 2006

Day 17 Make the Mask

So, I went to the local cancer center today and got to park in the special patients parking spaces, which felt not so great. There was a bald woman leaving the space next to me and she gave me the stare down as if I didn't belong in those spaces. Another woman in the waiting room had a pink ribbon tatooed on her ankle, her sign to the world of her battle.
I am nervous today because for the first time I am at an appointment alone. It is a strain to talk and I am afraid I will forget to ask something. This is the place I will be coming to 33 times. I get a little ID card with my picture on it. Also, encoded on it will be the top secret directions for the laser beam.
I met with the radiation therapist, she was quite nice, but quite routine. She actually has a check list of warnings that she had to check off to document that she had not forgotton to tell me things like, don't get pregnant and this might hurt a little. Anyway, it sounds like it will be very routine for the therapist here.
Then I had to go into the MRI machine, with a wet, molded net mask covering my face and neck. This will make a mold of my face, so that I lay in the exact same position each time, so that the laser beam goes right into the tumor sight. It is quite amazing. The technician left me for a while and the table, which had been moving alot was suddenly very still. My mind was going really fast and I had a few breif panic moments. What if she went to lunch and left me here! I knew that would not happen, but it was scary to be trapped like that.

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