Wednesday, January 31, 2007

We started out the day by making another trip down to RMCC - Littleton to get setup and do the simulation for my RT. First thing was to make a bite block; pretty much like going to the dentist for an impression (flash back to wearing braces!!!). They squirted the green epoxy goo all over it and I had to bite down on it for around 5 minutes. This is a very snug fit and to take it off takes some wiggling of it! Once it was set we went into the the RT room as there is a square type frame attached to the front of the bite block with 4 small balls attached to it. This works like a room GPS unit and the computers know exactly where and how my head is positioned. I had to take it out and put it back in 10 times so everything could be tested and make sure it was all OK. Man was I a slobbering fool by time I was done! However, I did not gag even once! Amazing what a couple of ativan will do for you!

Next we went back into the CT room and I had to lay down on the bench with my head on a little rest block and they stretched a warm plastic thing over my head, neck and chest. This mask is a very snug fit over the shoulders and above to prevent movement, and it does a good job! There is a whole for my mouth so I can get my bite block in and three holes in the forehead where they gave me tattoos. The tattoos are each of a large dragon fighting with a lion and a tiger; only they are sooooo small they look like small dots or even a black head on my forehead! These are used to line up with three different red light laser beams in the treatment room so they can make sure I am in the right place. All of this is very precise and calculated.

Once fitted with everything they performed a CT scan (with contrast) to create the initial picture so the doc can figure out the angles and dosage for the treatment. This took about 25 to 30 minutes. My daily treatments will be much shorter in time than that CT Scan!

We left there and headed off to RMCC - Parker for my appointment with Dr. Reznick and my weekly Erbitux.

At the exam Dr. Reznick felt that Earl has gotten a bit softer that he was before! I think so too but wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking on my part! The exam went well, nothing out of the ordinary. I did ask him to cut back on the benedryl since last week it knocked me out. He prescribed some cream for the face...it's really gotten bad! After that I was back in my lazy boy getting my week dosage. Even with half the benedryl I was still pretty tired and crashed early.