Radiotherapy Explained

If you’ve just been told your going to have radiotherapy – i hope this helps – i have lost of pictures to help- this is my treatment for tongue cancer – but i understand this is the general set up for most Head and Neck Cancers!

This is the room and the table you like on and you can see just before the entrance to the doughnut my mask .. I have my legs propped quite high for comfort.

Each time they check your ok with what’s next…

You will shortly have one of these made if you haven’t already

Once your ready – you will be asked to lie on the bed / table. Then they put the mask on and attach the mask to the bed keeping you in place unable to move at all – additionally I have a mouth piece which depresses my tongue so its in the same place each time. This so far is the worst bit for me – but it doesn’t last long at all ..

a few adjustments…

and I’m done .. they all go and hide from the radiation…

and this is what they are looking at – its meeeeee !!!! various views…

Each time you go into the tunnel you have a scan and they have to line you up by moving the bed. Sometimes it’s only mm’s to make sure your in the right place for the radiotherapy !

You come out of the tunnel once and that’s done and they say starting your treatment now … and you go back in and there are different noises – the scan has noises and this is very to different to a MRI.

They say you cannot feel it but I don’t know – I think your skin feels warm on and off !

As you go on with your treatment you feel like they have literally zapped your energy – and you just want to sleep. Tonight I have a sore throat. I am hoping this isn’t the start of my side effects but time will tell. I am shattered so off to bed!