Gamma Knifed

Last Wednesday, we went bright and early to The Philippine Gamma Knife Center located within the grounds of Cardinal Santos Medical Center. By around 7:30 they were attaching the frame to my head. While I wouldn't call the experience particularly bad, I must say I've done more enjoyable things in my life. Four screws, two at your temples and two near the base of your skull at the back (the fourth seemingly perilously close to my surgical "spot"), are used to attach an aluminum frame to your head. While uncomfortable, this frame is vital for accuracy. They "map" the location of the tumor relative to this frame, then attach the frame (with your head of course) to the machine, which I shall henceforth refer to as the "ray gun." This is how the ray gun knows the exact position to shoot its rays. In the days before Gamma Knife I understand that radiation consisted of shotgun approaches wherein rays are shot less discriminately into the general area of the tumor, causing harm to healthy structures in the process. Although they try not to needlessly worry us patients, apparently some people faint during this screwing, but I guess ignorance is bliss, because this Indian warrior made it through just fine.

Afterwards, frame and all, they took me for an MRI. This final scan would form the basis of the map with which the plan would be designed via computer. A typical plan goes something like this (in layman's terms):

with frame (and therefore head) in this position, turn rays on for 3 min.
Next, with frame (and therefore head) in this other position, turn rays on for 1 min.
and so on and so forth...

My plan called for 15 positions! Well at least we got our money's worth. :-) And how are these position changes accomplished? Well, the doctors, led by Dr. Mercado and Dr. Theodore "Dr. Ted" Vesagas (I think he's the technology hotshot over there) come in, literally unscrew you and screw you onto a new position. This is where I think knowledge led to the process being more uncomfortable than it had to be. With every turn of the screw, I could visualize the forces and stresses transferring from the screws onto the frame, and onto the four screws clamping my skull, so I was particularly attuned to the little neural twitches and pains here and there. If I had just gone in blissfully unaware, maybe, just maybe I would have felt even less discomfort. Maybe that's why Indian warriors-in-training have no access to the internet, less pain to welcome.

All in all, it was almost 2pm in the afternoon by the time we got out of CSMC. Not a torture session, but not exactly a party either.