ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: JoyDiane on October 01, 2009, 07:23:41 am
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Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to tell you that yesterday I completed my 3rd and final day of Cyberknife treatments at Stanford. It was pretty surreal. So far, so good. I really appreciate all your help, advice, friendship and support and for just being here. Thanks everyone!
I'll keep you posted!
JoyDiane
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JoyDiane
I moved this thread to "Post Treatment" because... you are officially... a "toastie postie!" :)
Congrats to you on finishing your treatment at Stanford and please keep us updated on how you do. Many here will follow along as they do their research into treatment options and your insight will be truly valuable.
Again, congrats!
Phyl
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Yay for Stanford Cyberknife. ;D
I agree it is surreal, it makes for an interesting week. Glad you are a toastie now!
Steve
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You just finished and I'm about four months from starting my CyberKnife experience. The Neuro Surgeon said I'd have to have CyberKnife but not until six months after surgery...so far it's only been two. He had to leave behind about 5% of my AN because it was on the Brain Stem, to close for comfort he said...CyberKnife should do the trick I'm told.
Please explain what you mean my surreal?
Thanks
Doc
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Congratulations, Joy!!!!!!!!!! You're on the road to recovery!
Best wishes,
TW
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Hi, Joy ~
My congratulations to you on your just-completed CyberKnife treatments. May you have rapid and total healiing. Enjoy your 'postie-toastie' status! :D
Jim
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Hi Doc,
My Cyberknife was instead of surgery so I'm not sure exactly what yours will be like after surgery. When I said surreal I mean the big robotic arm and the whole thing controlled by computers. It was actually quite comfortable. I was lying on a table w/a pillow under my knees and they gave me a blanket because I was cold. There was nice classical music playing (they said I could bring my own CD but theirs was fine. It was kind of relaxing, I had to try to meditate sort of because I was trying not to move. They made a mask out of a mesh to hold my head still and even if you move slightly the machine somehow follows you. The treatments were about 1/2 hour long for 3 days in a row. Now, a few days later, my brain feels slightly sore, I think it's the swelling. And I feel kind of out of it and very tired. Tumbleweed told me that's normal. I'll keep you posted.
Good luck,
JoyDiane
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Joy,
Thanks for answering my question. I'm actually comfortable around and understand the Robot part because I make my living in Robotics & Automation Systems, industrial not medical, although the theory is very similar. I assume they use Six-Axis Fully Articulate Robots to follow the complex geometry the human skull presents. The Tolerances or Repeatability of the units I'm familiar with is 1000th of an inch, or about .10 millimeters. I imagine with GK / CK Robots its even greater. From the little bit I've read on the procedure, it sounds like high doses of radiation is applied preciously using telemetry gathered from an MRI; depths and so on...just guessing of course. The Radiation Oncologist I had a consult with before my surgery to see if I was a candidate for Radiation instead of surgery (the answer was no of course) said I would also have three procedures on consecutive days just like you just finished.
Anyway, thanks again for sharing and yes, please let me know how you do moving forward.
You take care and I wish you all the best!
Doc
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Doc, both CK and GK have slightly less than a 1mm tolerance (around 0.85 mm, if I remember correctly). The treatment plan is developed from a CT scan, not an MRI. The CT scan is more accurate for developing the treatment plan. MRIs are more easy to interpret by the human eye, which is why they are used for diagnosis (small tumors can be overlooked by the human eye when viewing a CT scan).
A "radiation cloud," which conforms to the shape of the tumor, is delivered to the tumor by way of roughly 100 (up to 140) separate beams arriving at the tumor from many different angles, resulting in healthy surrounding tissue only receiving about 1/100 or 1% of the dose that the tumor receives. The caveat is that healthy cranial nerves that are surrounded by the tumor (such as is often the case inside the very narrow internal auditory canal) receive the full dose of radiation that the tumor receives; no effort is made to avoid irradiating the cranial nerves.
This is where the differences between CK and GK become significant, at least in theory. GK delivers twice the dose of radiation at the center of the tumor with respect to the dose at the periphery, whereas CK only delivers 15% higher dose at the center. So cranial nerves at or close to the center of the radiation cloud receive much lower dose of radiation with CK than with GK. Besides the relative homogeneity of dosage delivery, the fractionated doses of CK give the cranial nerves 24 hours between each treatment to recover, which they do more expediently than the tumor does. Hence, the radiation is more damaging to the tumor than it is to the cranial nerves that are also irradiated.
Best wishes,
TW
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Doc,
To me the sense of surreal applies to both surgery and radiation. One day some people tell you that you have a choice: we can knock you out with gas, saw a hole in your skull, and poke around inside your head with sharp instruments; or we can strap you down on a table, aim a giant ray gun at your head, and shoot exotic beams into your brain. Take your pick. Or in your case, you get to do both. Basically an alien abduction scenario. :)
It's a bit late, you are practically a regular now, but welcome to the forum, too.
Steve
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TW - You certainly know your GK / CK stuff...thanks for the very informative response.
Steve - I love your sense of humor and the hat; my favorite color "blue" just in case. I let them saw a hole in my head and go poking around a little over eight weeks ago and I'm up for C / K at the six month mark after surgery. The surgery experience was far from surreal; the fist week after waking up was absolutely awful and the time since hasn't been any cake walk. I'm hoping for the topical beach kind of experience with the Radiation if they have such a plan...I'll have to do more research and see what I find out. All kidding aside, I hope mine goes as well as other I've heard of.
Thanks again for the nifty response...I appreciate it.
Take care and enjoy your Sunday!
Doc
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Congratulations, JoyDiane! ;D
Jan
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Hi Doc,
I'm really glad Tumbleweed responded. She (he?) is really knowledgeable and explained it all quite well. I wish you luck and a speedy recovery. I am finding I'm doing too much, too soon. During treatments I took Decadron, a steroid, which gave me superhuman strength. I did too much and was wiped out. Yesterday, 3 days after completing treatment, it was such a beautiful day I did a lot of gardening. By afternoon I was completely wiped out and by evening I was a mess. I've been sleeping about 12 hrs. a night and have been having some headaches that don't hurt that much but feel like I bruised my brain. I called the nurse and she thinks it's from some swelling and recommended ibuprofen, so I've been living on that stuff. All in all I'm doing pretty well. Today, no gardening!
Take Care,
Joy
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I just completed my CK treatments yesterday...a little indigestion following, but nothing severe. Very tired yesterday...today, not so much. Follow up with the CyberDoc in 2 weeks, and the neuro in 3 months for another MRI. Wishing you the best on your recovery.
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Hello, my name is Brenda and I am new here! Sounds like your treatments have gone well so far...very glad to hear it! Do you mind if I ask the size of your AN?
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Hi Brenda,
My tumor was 1.3 c.m. My cyberknife went well as far as I know. I still have slight headaches as I've had since treatment. If I take 2 ibuprofen when I feel it come on it usually does the trick. I'm still quite tired in the evenings but I've been back at work full time since the week after treatment. I also seem to have slightly more tinnitus in that ear, nothing unmanageable but I notice it more than the pre-treatment tinnitus I had. I don't go back for my MRI for another 5 months. I presume my tumor has swelling and that is what's causing the headaches and greater tinnitus but not sure. Good luck to you and keep us posted on your progress.
Take care,
JoyDiane
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Hi JoyDiane,
Congratulations on your treatment. It sounds like you had a posiitive experience.
Steve,
I think you described it prettty well. There is no surgarcoating the options that we are faced with, that's for sure. You gave me the laugh I needed today. Thanks.
Vivian
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Hi usugar1,
My suggestion is: relax. :)
Cyberknife treatment is nothing like going through surgery. Some people take a relaxing pill a half hour before each treatment, just to make it easier to lie still. I didn't take anything, but if you think you want something, just ask. The main thing is to keep your eyes closed, so the big machine eye doesn't startle you when it looms overhead. Just keep your eyes closed and think about sunny beaches. Sometimes they let you bring in your own music - pick something soothing. I suspect that with the AN already operated on, you will not experience many effects after the radiation treatment either.
Say Hi to Boppie for us, if you get a chance.
Steve