How tight is too tight? Could they have made a mistake fitting the radiation mask? These were her comments after the dry run:

- the mask was very tight. she had deep impressions from the grid of the mask. She was told to abstain from drinking water before the mask fitting procedure. Is it possible that with her now hydrated + the mask shrinkage it is improperly sized? she notes that they had a very hard time fitting her when the mask was made, and that the technicians had a hard time getting her in the correct position yesterday.

- she feels like it's changing the shape of her nose. Lot's of pressure on the left side.

- neck felt "torqued" and out of alignment during the procedure. She had neck pain for about 2 hours after the procedure.

Any suggestions? I sent the comments above to the doctor for his feedback, but I wanted to hear from others in the trenches.

Your poor mother! She is already going thru struggles and she hasnt even begun treatments yet.

In my situation, my mask was snug but not overly tight. I did have a couple waffle spots but they would disappear pretty quickly after the treatment was over. As the treatments went on the mask loosened up.

For the first couple of weeks I looked like someone hit me in the face with a tennis racket. Don't worry she most likely will loose weight and those waffle grids will no longer be.

Thank you, Christine and David. I read your responses to my mom, and they really cheered her up.

Mom is really scared, but she has a hard time expressing that emotion. It comes out as complaints and negativity at anything and everything. Assuming that some discomfort and tennis racquet face is normal, we might want to look at something for anxiety and/or depression to be taken before the treatments. I will follow up with the doctor to see if physical comfort can be improved too.

Thanks again.

Some members have taken anxiety meds to help them get thru their treatments. Its pretty common to need a little temporary help. Being given a diagnosis of having cancer is a very scary event. Check with the doc about helping to ease her fears with some medications. They take a while to work so dont hold off on asking. Many patients are resistant to taking these type of meds but its just another tool to help get the patient thru their treatments and back onto the road of good health. Its not uncommon for caregivers to need this too. Many patients and caregivers will have therapists to help them deal with all the changes.

Best wishes!!!

Christine is so right. Ativan is very very commonly prescribed to help radiation patients relax and lie still. Ask for it. Even a tough guy like me found it helpful for 45 to 60 minute Cyberknife sessions. It works quickly with no bad side effects
Charm

The mask was very tight for me as well and the tech alleviated the pressure by cutting out the nose. Guess it wasn't needed to keep the thing in place, and it gave me much relief. You might ask about it. Good luck to you both!

Mine was tight too... Radiation is exact they do not want you to move at all. Others here are right she will likely lose weight and it will become more loose. she should let them know when this happens they may have to make adjustments.

best of luck!

Some treatment centers make cuts in the mask for the eyes, mouth, and this may be of some relief, so you may want to ask about that. Good luck.

Thanks everyone. 1 session down; 34 to go! I talked to the tech about the problem - hopefully tomorrow we'll see the nose (maybe more?) gone. I went ahead and got the ativan. If she doesn't take it, I will. ;-) Just kidding, but it would be nice if one of us felt less anxiety!

The responses here echo my experience. It was tight at first but loosened up over time as I lost weight. They also made some cuts that made it more comfortable while still keeping me immobile.

I also was given Ativan even though I never really felt that anxious in the mask. The only caution I'd contribute is that there can be withdrawal issues with Ativan if you take it for a few months and then abruptly stop. I'm dealing with that right now and it's taking a gradual reduction in dosage to get me off without the side effects I felt when I went cold turkey right after treatment.

My mask got tighter as I gained weight during the 7 weeks of treatment. Lets just say I have "fluffed up" since my surgeries!! I just sucked it up and got through it. I was not usually snapped into place for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. i was able to put my mind elsewhere and get through it. It definitely helped to have music going to take my mind off of where I was. At the end of treatment I would have impressions of the netting of the mask. That always made me chuckle and certainly caused a few stares as I would leave treatment.

You will get through this. Hugs

Donna