Under The (Ray) Gun

I continued to lie absolutely still as the techs left the radiation room and the turret began to slowly turn. It makes just enough electronic noise to be scary in a SciFi kind of way.

My radiation therapy has begun. Five days a week for six weeks I’ll lie on a flat metal table as technicians shoot x-rays through my body.

Today was my fourth trip to the facility, but only my second treatment. It a complex procedure which begins by finding a position I’ll be able to duplicate and stay motionless in day-after-day.

Lasers shot lines across my body, then targets were affixed to my midsection. It’s important to return to the same spots every day. Soon the targets will be replaced by tattooed dots.

I’ve been given an ID card to check myself in. No need to announce my presence. First stop is the dressing room where I trade my shirt for a hospital gown.

I hadn’t even gotten that far today when there was a knock on the door.

“We’re ready whenever you are,” said the voice on the other side.

Holy crap. I was about to be seen early! That’s never happened before.

My session took around 20 minutes. They had trouble finding my exact spot (verified by matching CT scans) until a thin towel under my tail bone was moved a few inches lower to the small of my back.

I continued to lie absolutely still as the techs left the radiation room and the turret began to slowly turn. It makes just enough electronic noise to be scary in a SciFi kind of way.

Five minutes later we were done.

Total time door-to-door under an hour. This is more treatment I can deal with.

6 thoughts on “Under The (Ray) Gun”

  1. Good luck Jeff, your outlook is wonderful. Used to watch you in Ct. many years ago. Love and prayers to you. Ann Sondergard

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