This is a great group -- I'm on a couple of other groups for other subjects than this dark-sided one and it's amazing how much knowledge we have when we link and share.

I was back to my ENT two days ago and mentioned that when I went for my Plan Mask (I think of it more like a Texas Chainsaw Massacre Mask and wish I thought to bring my camera), after the techs set up the Firing Plan on the mask with tape and the CT scan, they marked my chest with a pen, put a bandaid over it and said "Don't wash that, it's important!" (Duh! Of course it's important because it is the base reference point to link the mask to me exactly right, so a shot at the mask will hit the right place on me!) I asked about a tattoo and they said "Oh, you'll get that at your first treatment" -- "Why not now? Sez I" and they said something to the effect of that's the way we do it because we don't want to leave you on the table too long in your mask.

Then we went out and they found out my schedule had been changed to after Thanksgiving -- I asked if the ink was really going to last that long and they started giving each other those silent questioning Uh-Oh looks -- I just said, get the mask, put me back on the table and we can do the tattoo right now while we all know where every thing is -- I don't want melted fillings or whatever -- So we marched back in, laid me down and as soon as I could see the tech approaching with the needle I started hollering Ow!! Ow!! -- Payback is fun, altho I think she just tattooed it all the way down to the bone, because payback is a two-way street <g>

My ENT laughed about the whole thing and said that altho they are supposed to be the experts, it's also my responsibility to keep an eye on what's going on and to question what doesn't seem to make sense -- I can already see from the staff at the Radiation/Oncology Center that they are used to most folks getting the double whammy of radiation AND chemo and have tailored most of their approaches to that.

Pete