The first session is done.
It went fast. I spent about 25 minutes strapped down, of which 20 minutes was under the rayguns. That 20 minutes was divided into 10 minutes for calibration (low intensity) and 10 minutes for therapy (high intensity).
The hardest part was clenching my jaw and staying still and trying not to swallow.
Post-therapy impressions:
I have a strong headache, which could be just as likely due to clenching my jaw while being strapped down as due to what they did with their x-rays. I have a sort of slight burning or tingling on the inside of my mouth and along my gumlines – it’s like the inside of my mouth spent too much time in a tanning booth. I have some dryness in my throat and mouth – which isn’t even bothering me, since ever since my surgery I’ve felt exceptionally and unpleasantly slobbery. I have a sort of itchiness along my neck, which may be due to how the plastic strap-down apparatus makes contact with my skin there, or it might be due to the “burn.” All of these are symptoms that are listed as common, none are indicative of any major problem.
It’s just the first session, and some side-effects will be cumulative – e.g. the predicted possible hair loss, fatigue, etc.
The picture (above right) shows me about 5 minutes after I emerged from the treatment room. The sign says (roughly), “Radiation therapy zone: unauthorized entry prohibited.”
Talking to Andrew just now, I said I felt a little bit like I had just come out of the dentist.
“Oh, you mean distrustful of all humanity?” he asked, rhetorically.
I laughed.
