Gamma Knife Radiation Day

While the kids were tucked all snug in their beds, Eric and I snuck out to the Gamma Knife center at 6:30 am. We got right in for vital checks. At 8 am, Dr. Young arrived, excused Eric, and with the help of my nurse, Denise, attached the halo headpiece for the radiation treatment. Four big shots of numbing medication, then four big twists into the scalp (two on my forehead and two in the back of the head), and voila, the headpiece was on. It’s quite heavy.




Following the placement of the halo, the ambulance team came by to put me on a stretcher, then transported me by ambulance from one building to another. I did a MRI scan for the doctors to work on a treatment plan. I was amazed at how quick it all went. It seemed I had just been back from the MRI building before they walked me back to the Gamma Knife room. The process just seemed too easy. I went into a quiet machine for about 18 minutes, came out for repositioning and machine changes, then went back in for another 45 minutes or so. I had fallen asleep to a music cd of Josh Groban and Celine Dion when they pulled me out and let me know that they zapped four of the biggest tumors. Amazing!


I will go in next Thursday to get one more big tumor that’s resting on an optic nerve, and hopefully they’ll be able to get many more, as well. Assuming no more lesions pop up, there are 9 remaining.

Friday morning, we met with my oncologist to dicuss chemotherapy treatments. my brain specilist is concerned about the continuation of more tumors popping up. The plan we made with Dr. Menco is to finish radiation, then do a PET/CT scan to ensure there hasn’t been more cancer growth in other parts of the body, then start a chemotherapy treatment that has had some success with breaking through the blood/brain barrier that most chemo treatments can’t penetrate. I’m not looking forward to the chemo again at all, especially since it sounds so similar to what I was already doing before that didn’t work. My trust is in the doctor’s, though, and the healing that I know will occur.

My life is immensely blessed, even through all this adversity and sickness. The Lord is certainly surrounding me with an army of support and love. I just hope I am able to convey to Him the gratitude I have for all the angels in my life by handling this trial with grace and patience, and not letting the “fear factor” take over. While I am ready for this to be a thing of the past, it’s a trial wherein I have been able to recognize the value of it every single day and it’s been a growing experience for the entire family.