What's it like being radiated

Having already made a foam impression of both my legs the radiologist positions my legs in the foam cast and lines up the rest of my body on the table which sits beneath the head of the machine. Lasers are used to register the machine head with tattoo dots on my thigh. The x-ray beam leaves the machine head as a single point and it spreads in a narrow triangle over an area just above my knee to the crook of my groin. The width is the same as my thigh about 150mm. They can crop and aim the beam in whatever configuration they need. In my case the treated area is 4 times larger than the cancerous growth and this is to destroy microscopic cancer cells in the Tuma's locality.

When positioning my body they carefully strap my genitals away from the beam as testicles are especially sensitive to radioactive death rays. The oncology staff are very caring, communicative and sensitive. They help you feel comfortable with the hi tech equipment even though a constant stream of people with various stages of cancer are being prepared for the 'treatment'. My lump is of intermediate aggressiveness so its not a sleeper and neither is it a rabid dog.

The machine is very dexterous. Everything moves with a humm of efficient electric motors. The table goes north, south, east, west, up and down. The sound of up-tempo muzak plays from the somewhere and when the staff leave the room to escape the death ray's cumulative radioactive weaponry a door bell chimes to let you know you are alone with the machine and the lump.

I am not sure I can feel the beam in my flesh but again, I know its there. I wonder what it would be like if they let it run longer than the prescribed 15 to 20 seconds. Would my skin crawl or crackle? Would it hurt or blister. I fancy I can feel its presence but if they played a song I recognise on the invisible radio I would be distracted enough to ignore the sensation.

So far so good. Talking to the Chief radiologist today I have an idea the surgeon will want to remove a significant piece of my leg when the time comes.

Next session in two days-Monday 18th July.

PEACE