Hi! I'm Michelle. Do you want to know about radiation therapy? I can tell you
all about it. Our bodies are made up of tiny little things called cells. Cells so are so
tiny that you can't see them with your eyes. You have to use a microscope to make
them big enough to see. Cells bunch together and form parts of our bodies,
like our organs and muscles and skeleton. Usually our cells work very well to keep us healthy.
They split in half to create new cells and that's what helps us to grow.
Sometimes a few cells can get sick and they don't work together well with the
other cells in our body. These sick cells grow very quickly and make many more sick cells.
When this happens, it might not feel so good. Radiation therapy is something the
treatment team can use to help us get better when we have too sick cells.
There are other things the team can use too, but right now I will just tell you
about this one. Have you ever had an x-ray taken at the dentist? Well
radiation is a lot like that, even though you can't see it or feel it, it still works.
Sometimes the therapists will make a plastic cast for the spot where your
treatments will go. The mask or cast helps us to stay still when we have our
treatments. My friend in the hospital she had a face
mask needed for her when she had radiation.
The mask is pretty neat. It's made of
plastic and it looks almost like a hockey goalie mask, but it's see through.
When everyone was ready, we have something called a planning CT, to plan what
they are going to do. I can bring my favorite teddy bear so I won't be so
bored. The therapists use this planning CT to let me see what the room looks
like and help me practice being very still. Sometimes the radiation therapist
will draw marks on me to help her remember the spot. She might use a marker
or even tiny tattoo. I asked for a Mickey Mouse tattoo, but the therapist said that
wouldn't help them remembers the spot as well. I had to stay very still so that
the marks would be in the right place. My friend in the hospital didn't need any marks
since she had a mask. The therapist drew on that instead. They use markers to mark the
spot for her treatments. My mom and dad came with me for the planning CT and
treatments, but they stayed in the room next to me. Do you know what? They could
see me on a television in that room! I couldn't see them but I could hear them
talking to me and they could hear me too. Look at me, I'm a TV star! When everyone
was ready it was time to start the radiation treatments. I had to go to the
radiation room every day for two and a half weeks!
Some kids go for up to five weeks and others only for three days. It all
depends on where they need it. The radiation therapist was in the room with
me and my mom and helped me get into position. I lay down on the big bed and
the therapist put a seat belt on me nice and snug. When my friend had her treatments,
this is when she got to where her mask. After all her treatments are over, she
gets to take the mask home! Then she wants to decorate it with stickers. The
doctors used a big machine that points the invisible ray at the sick cells in my
body. I couldn't see it doing anything, but I could hear it sometimes. I just
closed my eyes and listened to a CD. My favorite song was on. Some kids can even
watch TV! That day it was pretty easy for me to stay still. I just pretended I was
asleep, but other times I had to try hard. I wanted to help the therapist, so I did
the best I could not to move until they said I could. I pretended I was playing
statue tag or something fun like that. Know what? It doesn't hurt at all and it
doesn't last very long either. It only took about a half an hour or so and then
I could go home again. When I got home, I felt a little tired, so I usually had a
nap or a quiet reading or TV time. But later in the day I was back doing
all the things I like. My grandma fixed me extra yummy but extra healthy meal.
Mmmm. Instead of really big meals, I had lots of small ones. Once a week we saw
the doctor for a checkup. He wanted to see how I was doing. My mom asked him
about the little rash I have. It's right where my treatments are. It's almost like
a sunburn and it itched a little. He told me not to scratch it. So that's it. I got
to meet a lot of nice people and I got to see some interesting machines. If you
are going to have radiation therapy, just remember that it doesn't hurt at all.
And your mom and dad will be nearby, even though you can't see them you can talk
to them and they can see you on a TV. But most of all, remember to stay as still as
a statue when they asked you to. Bye-bye. [giggle]
mmm