X-Ray Machine

For those of you that have been lucky enough to NOT been in one of these, here is the x-ray machine that I get my radiation treatments with. It has a controll consol that looks like it came ftom NASA!



Here is the x-ray machine....the head rotates through 270 degrees. The table slides to a position under the head. I get an exposure from my backside, left side, front, and right side. What you can't see in these pictures are all of the laser lines used for positioning.



For my cancer, I get to visit the machine 40 times (M-F, for 8 weeks).

Wow, 40 visits.


Best of luck to you, and try to resist hotwiring the machine.

Radiation scares the crap out of me. Roy, when you are actually under that machine getting your does of radiation can you feel anything? I mean is there any warm or burning or any kind of sensation other than just feeling nausia afterward?

After i have my colon cancer surgery on Feb 6th i might have to do chemo and radiation. I SO don't want to have to do that. Doesn't the radiation kill "good" cells along with the bad?

:candle:

Good luck on the treatments and be careful if the operators last name is Goldfinger.

iNDiGLo....they focus the x-rays as much a possible to try and reduce the amount of radiation that goes to the non-cancerious areas. And no, you don't feel anything. In my case, the Dr said that I might get some diarrhea toward the end of the treatment and if I did, over-the-counter meds should take care of it.

Wow, I wonder how much that machine cost?

Roy, you know our thoughts & prayers are indeed with you!

:thanks:

Be strong, Roy!
This is one hell of a burden ... not the therapy, but the diagnosis and uncertain future.
What kind of cancer do you have?
bernie

Prostate Cancer

AFAIK, you should not feel anything during the treatments.

Note, there was in the past a major 'goof' with some radiation treatment machine(s). Like many machines nowadays, it was controlled by software. The software had safety checks built-in, but the techs were going through the control menus in an unexpected way. Their way bypassed some safeties and resulted in the machine giving 100% output dosages. Patients reported feeling burning/something during treatment, and they were poo-pooed off and ignored. The manufacturer claimed there was no way there was anything wrong, and the machines all checked out OK during calibration and safety checks. It wasn't until a rep actually watched a tech go through the menus and said something to the effect of "Hey, you can't get to that menu from here" and the tech did it anyway. And then the rep said something like "OMG". IIRC, the patients did not do well.

So my curiosity was tickled, I searched a bit and found

http://www.computingcases.org/case_materials/therac/case_history/Case History.html

http://onlineethics.org/cases/therac25.html

and more. Just search for "therac 25".

If something doesn't feel or look right, squawk loudly. It's your butt in the machine. And the machine doesn't care.

Good luck Roy, and positive thoughts your way.

Hang in there, Roy! They also have a procedure where they implant a radioactive pellet for a time period. I don't pretend to be up to speed on the current "best practice."

Larry

My Doctors think that hormone blockers (blocks production of male hormones) and 8,000 RAD of radiation to my prostate, will take care of my cancer.

Good luck with your treatment, Roy. I hope it zaps the cancer without leaving you feeling ill.

OMG, Roy!
:candle:
Lots'a good karma going your way!

Good luck with that. My buddy had lymph gland cancer and they zapped him with xrays. Somehow they also zapped his saliva glands. Now his mouth is dryer than the Sahara, and he's constantly got to sip some fluids and slosh it around his mouth. So much for pinpoint accuracy.

LMU