To hell with the chemo-costume...

For radiation you get your own friggin' Spiderman mask! AWESOME!

This morning Mathilde and I went to the hospital for some preliminary radiation stuff. They needed to get me all measured and lined up for the radiation treatment which starts next week. This involved creating my own personal face mask, and then a CAT scan that they will use to determine precisely where they will radiate. All in all, I'd have to say today had a pretty high interesting stuff to low pain ratio (usually stuff they do to you is either interesting, but painful, or boring and painless -not sure where to classify the rectal exam (just kidding!)).

The best part about today, though, was that Mathilde remembered the camera - she was jumping around that place like a wedding photographer.

First they had me lie up on a table and hold a styrofoam ring over my crotch with both hands (It turns out the placement of the ring had no significance - they just need me to hold my hands and arms still, and the ring is a tool to help do that. But I was kind of curious at first, because typically when someone has me put a ring over my crotch it gets me thinking).


Once I was lying still, they criss-crossed my whole body with lasers and tried to get everything centered. They suckered me in with a compliment on how symmetrical I am, and after that, I was like putty in their hands.


Then they draped a big warm plastic mesh over my face and shoulders, and used their hands to mold it to my contours. At this point, I think Mathilde became fascinated, because she stopped taking pictures. Of course, I was the only one who couldn't see the fun, so I shouted through my closed mouth, "maaaaaeesh ishures!" The doctor scolded me for talking, but good old Mathilde knew exactly what I said and started snapping away again.




After they were done molding, we waited a few minutes for it to cool and harden, then the doctor drew outlines for my eyes and mouth (some people have cool jobs).



At this point, I was done with the masking part, and we were sent out to a very nice waiting room with recliner chairs and a flat screen tv. It turns out it was my lucky day, though. They discovered that they had made the wrong size mask for the radiation machine I will be using (Odin) so I got called back so they could make a new mask AND I got to keep the first mask - woohoo!

So, after the second mask was done, we were off the CAT scan.



They presented me with my own, personal Spiderman mask.


And then used it to pin me to the table (the whole purpose of the mask is to help keep your body perfectly still and in the exact same position each time).


After a whole bunch of measuring and marking, they started me through the tube. They ran me through once, took some pictures, then squirted the radioactive stuff in my arm (the stuff that makes you feel warm and tingly ALL over). Then they ran me through again. Short and painless.


When that was done, a got a little tattoo on my chest and that was it. We thanked them for a nice morning. I took my Spiderman mask under my arm, and we headed home.


And of course Mathilde couldn't wait to try it on.