I am done?

Staging my radiation treatments was easy. I laid facedown on a table as the x-ray technician’s tattooed a plus sign on the side of each hip and one above the crack of my butt. A laser light pointed to my tattoos to verify my body was in the exact position for my treatment.

“How many radiation treatments will I get?” I asked Fernando my technician.

“Twenty-five” he replied promptly looking at my chart.

“Will it hurt?” I asked.

“You will have to talk to the doctor about that.” Fernando replied.

“How long will each treatment take?” I asked questions face down on the table so my body moved a bit and the laser could not lock in to my tatoo marks on my hips.

“Mr. Beckstein PLEASE remain as still as possible when we do your treatments.” Fernando advised. “I will be directing the radiation around your colon so we can kill any stray cancer cells. If you move during the treatment other parts of your body get treated. Will you please not squirm around on the table?”

"Got it Fernando" I replied my face buried facing the treatment table.

I never moved during my 25 treatments. Fry my colon I don’t care but please nothing else. I closed my eyes as the radiation device hovered over my back. Fernando played latin music on his boom box. Fernando peeked thru the window behind the thick wall so he was protected from the radiation. I prayed to God to let me keep living.

After 25 treatments my body got zapped with the equilivant of 10,000 chest x-rays all focused on my colon. Today I am free and clear of colon cancer for three years. The treatment worked. No evidence of reoccurring disease. I am still alive thank God.

Did it hurt you ask? At first my back felt warm like sunburn after the first treatments. Later treatments gave me a dull pain in my back like someone punched me in the kidneys. A heating pad was a great way to heal my lower back and mild pain meds took away any pain.

After my last treatment I asked Fernando, “How do you know I am done with all these radiation treatments? Do you have one of those probes like you see in turkeys that pop out when they are done.”

Fernando smiled and looked at me over his reading glasses and shook his head.
"No Doug you must be confused again. You are not a turkey. This is your last radiation treatment. You can get back into your street clothes now."

This was his last day working for my doctor and the last day to hear my dumb questions. I think Fernando is selling real estate now.