Day #1 1 down 34 to go

The first day of RT ( Radiation Therapy) is one I was looking forward to for one reason only. It meant I only had 34 more to go. The most nerve racking thing about this treament so far has been the mask that is put over your head for the treatment.
A week before the treatment, you are brought in to be fitted for this mask. It is a mesh type material that seems to have been dipped in hot wax. It is put over your face and head, while you are laying down on a table. It takes a few minutes but eventually, it cools down. It is very hard to breathe with this on and I almost had a panick attack. I blamed the medical assistants for not giving me enough information on what to expect. I told my doctor about this and I think he chatted with his people about my comments. They are nice people but, I think they just get to relaxed with their job and for get the minor details.
Now the first treatment.
I was asked what type of music I like before we got started. I told them I would like ESPN so, they tuned the radio to ESPN and it was coming through the speaker system , loud and clear. This does help to distract you from what you are going through.
I was put on a table and for the next 20 minutes they moved me back and forth making sure to get my spine in the correct position. Next, they put the mask over my face and head. WOW!!! this will take some getting used to. It is very scary and takes a while, if ever, to ge used to. The mask is locked in and you are not able to moved you head 1 mm. Your shoulders are also locked into position. After a few seconds of almost panick, I relaxed and started to slowly breathe through my nose. This relaxed me and I began to realize that this would not be as bad as I had thought. After 30 minutes, the mask was unlocked and I was a free man. WOW , what a nice feeling to get that off of my head.
All of the information I recieved form brochures and through conversations with the docotors, told me that I should not have any side effects until a least the 2 week mark. Well, I may be a coincidence but, I woke up the next morning with sore throat. Maybe I just caught a cold at the same time but regardless, I now have a sore throat to treat.
Okay, day 1 is now in the books and only 34 to go.