How to Pass the EBRT Time

I am 22 sessions into a 44 session EBRT plan. I'm getting into the groove and I have even, so far, been able to have a full bladder at just the right time every day--it can be dicey when they are late taking me into the treatment room.

But here is the thing, I am getting tired of characterizing every noise coming from the equipment. I think I have the x-ray sound and the actual treatment sound characterized. But, I noticed yesterday that I dozed off during the treatment and was startled when the machine quit emitting noise. While that is not a problem, I worry I could fall off the narrow table that I am laying upon.

How did or do other guys pass the 15 or so minutes while in the treatment room?

I liked trying to imagine that I could feel the beam hitting me. I don’t think it really works that way.

During my IMRT sessions back in 2012, I remember a couple of little game-like things I did while on the treatment table, one mental, one physical, that seemed to help pass the time.

The mental one: the ceiling above the table where I would lay had a large, multi-colored photo on it of a couple of early-spring trees with white blossoms on them, with a blue sky and white puffy clouds in the background. I used to lay there and imagine birds, squirrels, nests and all such on those branches, with the animals jumping or flying and landing. Then I would look at the white puffy clouds and see all sorts of things in them. It kept my mind occupied.

The physical one: during the time, the couple of minutes or so, that the machine was actually passing over me, discharging its beam, I would make an extremely concentrated effort to hold my breath and keep my abdominal muscles as still as I possibly could, out of fear that even a small movement of that part of me might send the beam into surrounding tissue that didn't need to be hit. Probably unnecessary on my part, as the techs were always spot on in getting the aim right, but doing so did no harm, and it made me feel like I was actually helping myself.

For my nine weeks of radiation, they piped in my favorite music ... each day, a different mix of songs.

I focused on the music, the words, the lyrics ...

Ask if music is an option ... even a radio playing in the corner, if nothing else!

Music sure helped me through those nine weeks!

With my best,
CYCLONE ~ Iowa State University

I love this topic.
I made faces in the mirror thingy whenever it passed over my head. I tried to guess whether the first pass of the donut around me would be clockwise or counterclockwise.
Some days, I would see just how much I could move my arms before the tech would come over the intercom and remind me to keep still. Especially when Jeff was the tech, cuz he was kind of a dick about that. Scarlett was easy.

Sometimes I think about philosophy things like:
"If a man speaks and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?"
or
"Can you run into a crowded fire station and yell 'movie'?"
or
"what is the sound of one hand clapping?"
or
"what will happen when my wife discovers I didn't wash the dishes?
Stuff like that,
Andrew

Andrew -

I'm still laughing at those!

Since I had been taking Lupron for 4 months prior to starting my 44 treatments I still wonder if I will walk out into the waiting room without my clothes. My main goal has been to finish my remaining 2017 New Yorkers by the end of treatment. This has become more difficult as the waiting room conversations have picked up since we have gotten to know each other better. On the way to the treatment room my technician who walks me to the room is generally cheerful which helps lighten the mood. I imagine walking to an electric chair or down a prison corridor. I hop on the table and lie down on the table they open my robe exposing my small replica of a penis. This is unsettling and reminds me of similar situations in elementary school. After everyone leaves the room I spend a lot of time trying to pin down the sound of the machine. A table saw cutting pine in the next room? I also wondered if my team is hitting their target, which I will ask them every so often. Finally I go to sleep, then everyone is back in the room I am lifting my legs to remove the mold, handing my ring back and exposing myself one more time and thanking everyone as I head to the restroom.

68 yrs., marathon runner, 32 of 44 3D-CRT/IMRT Radiation delivered via 3D-CRT in 1.8 Gy minimum dose fractions to a total of 79.2 Gy., 10.5.18. PSA .012, 8.12.18, 1.42 June 18, 2018 (Lupron 5.21.18 & 8.15.18), 12.7 May 2018, 13.7 Jan. 2018, 2.1 May 2012. SpaceOar 9.6.18, testosterone <.7, 8.15.18, Tot Mayo 19 ng .17 testosterone Free 6.18.18, Gleason 3+4=7 involving 15% of the right apex and 15% of the right mid, 3+3=6 prostate cancer involving 5% of the left base. Pathology interpretations by John Hopkins, UNM Cancer, and SF Path 3+4=7 or 4+3=7 MD Anderson Proton Center w/o %. T3 MRI w/ contrast 1.8 lesion left side 5P, Neg. Bone Scan. Prolaris test 3.5 consistent with intermediate and a PTEN test negative. Father PC age 78 RT & ADT now 93 yrs. Neurogenic bladder due to lumbar disk disease and recurrent bladder neck contracture with urinary retention man. 20 years doing catheterizations. TURP & scaring 2003, Finasteride 5 milligrams daily since 2002.

when I was on the slab ...if I moved a muscle ,they were in there telling me that was way against the rules.....my treatment sessions were only 5-6 minutes in duration as I remember , so not much time to fall asleep....did like the hot blanket they provided !....David

I didn't have conventional IMRT -- I had SBRT. My time in the microwave was "only" 5 treatments, but each one took about a full hour, from entering the treatment room to leaving. I was not required to disrobe, nor did I have to wear a hospital gown. I just had to wear loose-fitting clothes that had no metal parts. No zippers, so I wore a pair of sweat pants. I just changed into "street" clothes in the washroom prior to heading off to work after each treatment. I thought of Clark Kent, in the phone booth, changing into Superman while I was changing.

During treatment, I was lying on the treatment table with my sneakers taped together to keep me from moving and to minimize muscle strain in maintaining the unusual position. I brought my own music. I usually fell asleep about 10 minutes into the treatment, and was awakened at the end. I kind of missed my naps after the end of treatment.

SantaZia

I'm glad you are beginning to run again! I have noticed my endurance is becoming really poor right now. I play racquetball and the combination of the treatments and the lack of testosterone are really beginning to weaken and slow me down. My RO did tell me that three months after treatment, provided the PSA looks good, he will refer me to a UO who will get me back on TRT.

The vaults where I get treated are pretty sterile and I cannot see the monitors from the way they have the equipment positioned. But, 23 complete and 21 to go.

I did notice that two of the marks that I got during simulation fell off overnight. I hope they are not important. I guess I will find out later today when I crawl onto the table and spend quality time with the machine nuking the bad stuff in my prostate.