Gamma Knife Radiosurgery uses many low-level beams of radiation (in my case, about 192 beams) pinpointed on a specific location to kill cancer/tumor cells.
Since the individual beams are low-level,and coming each from a different direction, the possibility of doing damage to surrounding tissue is negligible, while the over all, overlapping affect on the target area can be achieved in one day's sitting.
I guess this stuff has been around a while, though I've never heard of it before, nor known of anybody else who's had it done. It's primary use is for brain tumors, or other tumors of the head (like mine), where traditional knife and fork surgery is too risky.
I was told the only discomforting aspect of Friday's (tomorrow's) procedure will be the fastening, with screws, of the head frame to my skull. This is to keep my head, and the target, fixed in place. They really try to avoid the scatter gun effect.
For the rest, they say, I will be so drugged up I will not really care.
Gonna be a long day. First the head framework. Then a CT scan. Followed by an MRI. And then the Gamma Knife. Seems I'm gonna see the inside of a lot of tubes in one day. Did I mention that I was claustrophobic?
Don't worry, they said. "We got drugs".
On the Good News side: my voice has returned over the last couple of days. It's about 50% of what is was two weeks ago, but at least I've got it.
7 comments:
Good to know your voice returned. Good luck with your procedure tomorrow!
Is anybody going to give us an update, or are we going to have to wait for you to return?
I hope they're going to use only the best Black&Decker tools available.
You might want to have them check for any other loose screws you might already have jiggling around in your head.
(I'll let Mocha-momma know, she's a praying machine when it comes to our friends. You'll be in good hands)
Hang in there, my friend. You'll come out of it well. I definitely hear ya when it comes to the MRI tube -- have spent waaaay too much time in those things.
Good luck tomorrow, Gino. You continue to be in my prayers. Also as mentioned above, is someone going to check in with an update or do we wait in suspense? God Bless.
thank you, all.
no suspense required.
the whole ordeal will only last several hours, and i should be home in time for dinner.
well, somebody's dinner anyway.
mark: my last MRI (presurgery), they had to put me down for it. the first two attempts didnt go well.
It's great you got your voice back. Now, when you're in the tube, there's a chance they'll hear you when you say get me the samhill out of here!
God bless.
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