Simulation

After dealing with everything involved in the ultrasound, it was nice to have a relatively simple procedure. I arrived at the radiology department before 1:00 on Thursday of last week to begin the prep. One of the technicians came to the waiting room and gave me two medicine bottles filled with an iodine-based contrast solution for my GI tract. I had to drink one then and the other thirty minutes later. It had a sort of fruit flavor – not too bad, but not too good either – and it made my tongue bright red.

The technician came back for me just before 2:00 and took me to the CT room. After I partially undressed, he, another technician, and two other people who I assume were students came into the room to help get me situated on the table. Dr. Langer, my radiation oncologist, came in a few minutes later. One technician inserted an IV catheter in my right arm for an IV contrast solution that would be given during the procedure. Next I had to lie on the table, face down, with my upper body on a hard, square doughnut sort of thing. The purpose was to let my stomach hang down through the opening, which would pull the organs in that direction and away from where the radiation would be aimed. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was bearable.

The technicians took some time to get me positioned properly and create molds so I will be in the same position each time I have a treatment. The molds were large plastic bags with some sort of material inside. One of the guys called them bean bags. When I was in the position they wanted and that I could live with, they removed the air from the bags and depressions were formed where my arms and legs were. After that, they sent me through the CT scanner twice; the second time with the IV contrast solution to show my circulatory system.

Small marks were made on my body for reference points. There is an X on each hip and a vertical line below the base of my spine. Round, clear bandages were placed on each mark to help preserve them. With those marks, the body molds, and the fiducial markers inside me, it seems there shouldn't be a problem getting everything aligned.

My treatment schedule should be set in a week or so.