Phyl,
As you know my cyberknife was three stages. The day before treatment Dr. M. Said they were going to do only 1. "Panic". I can't stand last minute changes. He relented and did 3.
I happen to have my doctor notes at work so here is what the one shot would have been and what the three was.
5 mm collimator based on the best plan accomplished. a dose of 1300 cGy was prescribed to the 66% isodose line giving 98.6% coverage. Maximum dose to the brain stem 805 cgry. The patient will be given with a single fraction.
Panic!!!!! Not the plan. I was in the throws of a auto-immune attack at the time and not in my right mind. Cried, went off the deep end and Dr. M said in my case 1 was the same as 3. However, he would recalculate and do 3 if it made me more comfortable. Previous to this time only 3 were mentioned. I was have a little trigiminal numbness and did not want anything that would harm that. To be honest I was a wimp about everything then.
Three state treatent: 21 Gy in three fractions dosed at the 82% isodose line using a three path technique. a six dimensional tracking was achieved.
As you know at this time I was wimping out about everything. If I had have known how little difference this treatment made in my quality of life post AN I would have jumped on it sooner. At this point dealing with the AIED thing in the other only hearing ear is far up the totem poll in importanct to me now. I go back for the 6 month MRI 7/7/06. I will say that I am a little anxious about that. The 3 month was so good that I have everything crossed the the 6 month will be better. I want the damned thing gone to tumor heaven. I can't say that I am with out post treatment symptoms. However, they are so much better and if I can keep the hearing in my only good ear I will feel blessed. Even the facial nerve thing has not acted up in about a month. I am back on high dose steroids for the AIED and mean again. You will get to feel ing better. The radiation does not stay in your body. We hope the tumor is just having death tantrums and that is causing your problems.
I have changed my diet 100% and practice what makes me off balance. In fact I really stress it almost to the point of almost throwing up sometimes. I seems to work. I have really upped my intake of water with lemon and lime and a anti-oxident with ellagic acid. We shall see what we shall see. I also am getting religious about taking my allergy meds. Every little thing helps. I hate veggies. Never did like them raw. However, now it is into the jucier and down the hatch. Lots of salmon. No chicken, no turkey, no pork and very little beef. (I live in Oklahoma for crying out loud, I have to eat beef). Some buffalo and all the meat is organic. I am starting to do facial exercises just because it can't hurt to reinforce these muscles. (Remember I a old).
Hugs and blessings,
Sandy
