› Forums › General Melanoma Community › SBRT of lung
- This topic has 6 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 4 months ago by
DonW.
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- November 30, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Well, I know some of you will bre curious about my treatment, so I'll tell you all about it now. Last week I went in for radiation 'set up', which mostly just consisted of some measurements being taken while I was lying flat on a metal table, just like the table any of you might have been on for a ct scan or mri. A CT scan was used during this where they tracked the movement of the nodule in my lung while they were doing the measurements. I also got three tiny tattoos, used for targeting purposes, one on each side of my chest and one right in the center.Yesterday was my first treatment, it was easy and painless except for the problems I have lying on my back. BUT, since I was allowed to eat a regular breakfast, I took a pain pill, and followed that up with an anti anxiety pill on my way there. So that helped me relax enough that the back didn't start hurting till right at the end.Today, I was, of course, on the same kind of table, but the machinery was quite different. THIS is the actual machine they used: http://www.varian.com/us/oncology/radiation_oncology/clinac/It was easily the simplest and most painless thing I've ever done to fight my melanoma, not even as stressful as a PET scan. I had to do no kind of preparation, no restrictions on my eating the day before or that morning, I just had to lie there. The machinery moved around me, and occasionally moved me..so once in a while the table was rotated, but mostly the arms of the machine moved around me.The first half of the time in there was mostly scanning. they have to follow the way the tumor moves with breathing. The arms rotate around and shoot their radiation beams into you from many different directions (16 I am told) and for those who asked, there is indeed some laser involvement, but used for aiming an targeting. The radiation crew, while all this is going on, is out in another room, a big U shaped room that looks like the bridge of a spaceship, with all kinds of computers, and one with a big view of the room and me.I kind of felt like I was in a space ship too. With some futuristic fullbody tricorder. just an illusion. It made robotic noises, like R2D2, and it was over right about the time my back was starting to hurt me.Because this is unlike traditional radiation, the side effects can come faster and I'm told I could start having some early side effects, in terms of fatigue in the next couple of days. I did interferon back in 03/04 and can't really imagine any fatigue being worse than that, so I'm prepared. Other more serious side effects like, sore throat, skin burns, esophogitis and such could come later, but really I could just get away with minimal side effects, so that's what I am looking forward to. But I'll keep you all posted on the timetable and severity of such thingsI have 3 treatments next week, mond/wed/fri, then one on the following monday. It will likely be 2 or 3 months before we scan again to see if this therapy is working. And hopefully it all goes without a hitch, I'll be ready for camping by april!Dian
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- December 1, 2012 at 12:52 am
Dian,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is wonderful to hear that your first treatment was easy! I replied to your earlier post about VATS vs SBRT. I too had a solitary lung nodule, which was removed 10 days ago by VATS. I am feeling pretty good now, although the first couple of days were a little rough, certainly worse than my previous surgeries. Please continue to post your treatment experiences, and here’s hoping for NED results!
Lear -
- December 1, 2012 at 12:52 am
Dian,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is wonderful to hear that your first treatment was easy! I replied to your earlier post about VATS vs SBRT. I too had a solitary lung nodule, which was removed 10 days ago by VATS. I am feeling pretty good now, although the first couple of days were a little rough, certainly worse than my previous surgeries. Please continue to post your treatment experiences, and here’s hoping for NED results!
Lear -
- December 1, 2012 at 12:52 am
Dian,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is wonderful to hear that your first treatment was easy! I replied to your earlier post about VATS vs SBRT. I too had a solitary lung nodule, which was removed 10 days ago by VATS. I am feeling pretty good now, although the first couple of days were a little rough, certainly worse than my previous surgeries. Please continue to post your treatment experiences, and here’s hoping for NED results!
Lear
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