The mask of doom

Monday morning I headed to the slab for a dry run. They do simulations, with everything just as it would be for radiation, except without the radiation. This means lying down on the bench, snapping on the mask, and the radiology techs making marks on the mask so the beams can be aligned.

Not fun.

Since the left side of my face is pretty swollen still, the mask is even tighter than it was the first time around. In addition, it now pressed right on the tip of my nose and across my brow more tightly than before. I got the tech to cut out a smal portion around my brow, but they really can’t do that with the nose portion, since that’s what presses me into the table and keeps me still vertically. That’s disappointing, because I can’t open my eyes in the mask now, either, which means I’m just lying there, blind, whie they do their thing. On the plus side, I had swallowed down one of the Xanax prescribed to me, and my panic wasn’t nearly what it had been with the PET scan, although it was still pretty bad. Between the nerves and the (re)fitting, it took four tries to get the mask in place. Once in place, though, that Xanax started kicking in a bit more, and I patiently waited for the techs to do their thing. The procedure itself took about five minutes or so, and they told me that typically it will only take that long for each treatment. They schedule patients 15 minutes apart, so as long as they can get someone in place in a reasonable amount of time – or get the mask on them without them hyperventilating into a heart attack – they can get a lot of people in and out through the day. I have enough drugs plus refills to last through the treatment period of 6-7 weeks, so I think I can do this.

Tuesday, it’s off to the dentist, to make sure that I don’t need any major dental work before we begin. I’m sure I don’t, but I also have to pick up flouride trays to use throughout treatment so all my teeth don’t fall out, so it’s a necessary stop.

Wednesday, it’s off to the surgeon so he can check out his handiwork again. I fully expect him to give the all clear, even though the horizontal incision is not completely closed, and Wednesday afternoon, it’s off to the medical oncologist for the first round of chemo. That visit will take about an hour and a half or so, as it’s the loading dose of the drugs I’ll be receiving once per week for the next 6-7 weeks. Subsequent visits will be in the range of about 3 hours a pop.

As I expected, the first round of radiation will be on Sept. 6 – the day after Labor Day – and will be every weekday for the entirety of the treatment period. Things should start getting interesting pretty quickly, given the effects radiation and chemo have on the body. I can’t wait for it to be over, and we haven’t even started!

One thought on “The mask of doom”

  1. aw, poor baby. i hate the closed in feeling.

    i had claustophbia when i was little. then, a coupla years ago, i had to have an MRI. i thought i could handle it fine. but nope, it all came rushing back like i was a four-year-old.

    from now on, if i ever hafta have that test again, i’m requesting valium. lots of valium.

    i know you’re dreading the treatments ahead. i’m dreading them right along with you. but just so you know, my prayers and thoughts will be with you during this time.

    just so you know, i’m enjoying the total fark experience. i’ll be posting in the farktography contest tonight.

    carol a.k.a. occam’s lady schick

Comments are closed.