(Or, something like that.)
Went to Radiology this morning, for the initial set-up appointment.
This involved me taking off everything above the waist, putting on a gown (opening in the back, please), laying down on the "bed" for the scanner, and having my feet held together with a huge rubber band (to help keep me still, she said). I was then dressed up with a special tape (to mark the area that will be irradiated) and run through a huge donut for a cat-scan. Quick process, that. And I didn't even have to hold my breath.
Once they had the scans, I had to stay still while she calibrated the computer, and then the tech came in and turned out the lights, saying that she could see what she needed to see a little easier with the lights out. (This had me wondering if the tape and the scan somehow together left some kind of marks on my skin?) She then switched on something in the thing above my head that read "laser". I could see there was a red light, aimed at my nose. She repositioned the "bed", and I presume the red light was now aimed at my right breast. She then drew six dots on me - four around my right breast, and one on either side of my body, in the rib area. Once drawn, she prepped her tattoo needle (it looked like a flexible tube with a needle at one end - not exactly high tech), and poked me six times, injecting ink at each one of the dots. She drew blood.
(So now, I have smears of ink, not quite cleaned off, around each dot, and the one that bled? it's the one located just about dead-center on my chest, well above cleavage area, fully visible to all and sundry. That's pretty.)
The doc asked me if I had questions. I told him I'd never done this before, so, I didn't know. He laughed and told me to write them down, if I thought of any, and we'd go over them, one by one, next time he saw me. All of this took place while I was laying down, gowned, partially exposed, hands above my head. I felt silly.
After, when I was dressed again, I stood at the counter discussing appointment times. The doctor came up next to me, asked how I felt. I said, "I have tattoos!", and he lamented the fact that they didn't have more sophisticated equipment. A micro-tattoo would be so much better - you could have tiny little butterflies or roses or hearts - if only they had the equipment. I pointed out that little dots aren't exactly going to stick out on my skin - I've already got plenty, I say, sticking out my arms to show him all my freckles. He was nice.
My first appointment is on Wed the 20th. They will shoot radiation at my body, guided by the tattoos, for about 15 min, every week day, for six to eight weeks.
Tomorrow, I have my follow-up with the oncologist.
I live a thrilling life, no?
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