another CT scan

     It's a bit confusing, I thought I had one more CT scan but actually had three, one today in the radiation oncology dept, then two more on Monday.

     Today was interesting. I met Terence, the CT technician, he showed me his CT scanner ($1.5M) from the inside out....he is very thorough, told me each step of everything that was going to happen, just before it happened. I laid on a narrow bench, glasses off, he lined me up with the CT, moving me in and out of the CT donut hole several times as he did so.

Then the mask. I'm still laying on the bench with my knees up, still lined up with the CT. The mask starts out a flat piece of white plastic mesh, he heated in warm water to soften it, then stretched it down on my face, holding it place for 5 minutes, shaping it across the bridge of my nose and both eyes, until it hardened. He put my name on it and several alignment marks. Then he strapped both of my hands to a counterweight, so as I straightened my legs against a foot board, the weight pulled my arms straight and shoulders towards my feet, kind of like those torture things from the middle ages.

I asked him "what if we are in the middle of this scan and you drop dead, how will I get out of this thing?" He said "just holler, somebody will hear you." I think he was serious.

So, I'm still on the bench, chin up, shoulders down, arms straight, body stretched out straight, all alignment marks aligned, mask on, holding very still... he says, "see if you can get loose"....

JK. Not really. He started me in for the last time, slowly; as my eyes passed through the center of the machine, I saw the blue rays coming out, I closed my eyes, we went in to about my belly button, then he put it in reverse until I was out. Pretty slow ride.

The resident came in to review the scan, it looked good, I was done.

I forgot about the background. When I first went in the nurse inserted a needle into the vein in my arm. A little later Terrence pumped in something to give the scan a little clarity. When the scan was done, Terence removed the IV. I have a copy of the scan coming in the mail, showtime to be announced.

They will use this scan to calculate the alignment of the ray guns. First treatment currently scheduled for 11/18. On Monday I'll address the other 2 scans.