Tattoo's Today

Mary Jo was fitted for a “radiation pillow” today at the Ridges Radiation Therapy Center. The “pillow” is hard molded frame or template the makes the radiation table setup for the 33+ sessions of radiation most exact and consistent from session to session. The technicians made multiple “tattoos” on Mary Jo’s chest area to pinpoint the exact points for the numerous fields of entry points of radiation that she will receive as therapy and then Mary Jo was given a CT scan so that the radiation oncology doctors will have a complete 3-D picture of the fields that were mapped. The process so far is painless but Mary Jo’s torso looks like a ball point pen accident. Most of the markings should wipe off but the five blue dots that mark entry points are permanent. I guess you are never too young or too old to get a tattoo.

Next Tuesday, February 9th we meet for a second consultation and planning sesion with our radiation oncologist Dr Kim McCollow. We expect the doctor will discuss what she has planned for Mary Jo’s therapy regarding the dosage, number of fields and duration of the therapy.  Therapy sessions begin the next day on Feb. 10th and continues every day at 12:20 with the exception of weekends and holidays for the 33 to 37 sessions.

Mary Jo is feeling good today.