Ok, I've got to ask ... WHY? Radiation therapy for cancer?
Yes. I discovered the tumor July 21, 1985. It was removed August 6, 1985. I waited for 3 weeks for the pathology report. It was a pure seminoma. Malignant, but apparently completely contained. A lymphangiogram was performed to check the lymph system, then the doc recommended 3000 rads of radiation. Each treatment was preceded with a blood test to make sure that the radiation had not destroyed so much of my bone marrow that the treatment could not continue. The usual treatment aligned the aperture on my stomach and blasted 150 rads. After 10 minutes to clear the air in the room, the techs returned to spin the aperture around and fire another 150 rads through my back. I then hopped into my car and drove home as quickly as possible. Most times I managed to get in the door before heaving my guts out. A couple times I had to pull over, open my car door and let rip. You learn early in the treatment to eat early in the day before the treatment so all the food is already digested. I nearly ripped my esophagus with brown rice after one treatment.
The treatments gave me a first hand experience with "conditioned response" like Pavlov's dogs. By the 3rd treatment I would start getting more nauseous as I approached the oncologists office. Once in the door, my stomach was already wretching from the smell of the ionized air in the waiting room. It was very hard to get through all the treatments. The nauseous reaction persisted for 6 months after the treatment. Driving west on Miramar Road, then south on I-805 would provoke nausea.