Starting four weeks of radiotherapy
This discussion was created from comments split from: Scan day freaking sucks......yet again. Probable curse words included..
Forum Discussion
Hi @Temple
It's weird when you finally find the thing that is your personal deal breaker, particularly if you can generally describe yourself as a stoic.
I learned a little trick a few years ago that I employ whenever I have to sit or lie still and endure something when every atom wants to run screaming from the room. It's a counting 'game' which, of course, doesn't suit everyone's temperament.
Start at 27 and count backwards. Then backwards from 26, then 25, 24 etc. One number per slow inhalation and exhalation. If you forget where you are up to, you have to start again. Make those breaths reeaally slow and it can take up to 45 minutes to complete a full cycle. Why start at 27? Dunno, just because. Anyway, it works for me.
Another suggestion is to wear a cloth eye mask, you know, the airline type ones. It's head in the sand stuff but I find it cuts another level of stimulation out which helps me calm down. I can't tolerate music --particularly when I'm being shoved into the jaws of some diabolical machine---so I demand it's turned off. This has caused untold confusion on occassions but too bad.
Then, when everything is over, I spend a few minutes screaming in the car on the way home.
It's weird when you finally find the thing that is your personal deal breaker, particularly if you can generally describe yourself as a stoic.
I learned a little trick a few years ago that I employ whenever I have to sit or lie still and endure something when every atom wants to run screaming from the room. It's a counting 'game' which, of course, doesn't suit everyone's temperament.
Start at 27 and count backwards. Then backwards from 26, then 25, 24 etc. One number per slow inhalation and exhalation. If you forget where you are up to, you have to start again. Make those breaths reeaally slow and it can take up to 45 minutes to complete a full cycle. Why start at 27? Dunno, just because. Anyway, it works for me.
Another suggestion is to wear a cloth eye mask, you know, the airline type ones. It's head in the sand stuff but I find it cuts another level of stimulation out which helps me calm down. I can't tolerate music --particularly when I'm being shoved into the jaws of some diabolical machine---so I demand it's turned off. This has caused untold confusion on occassions but too bad.
Then, when everything is over, I spend a few minutes screaming in the car on the way home.