Just finished my first week of treatment! I was able to get 4 treatments instead of 5 because Dr. Samuels was still tweaking my treatment plan on Monday and wanted it to be perfect before I began. We met after my treatment to review the week and everything is looking good. So far I’m not feeling any side effects from the radiation and plan to go home to spend the weekend with my family! I can’t wait to see them!
The lesson I learned this week is Don’t Fight The Mask. It can be challenging to get out of your head when your head is literally secured to a table in a form-fitting mask that’s so tight it’s difficult to open your eyes. During a treatment earlier in the week if found myself getting very uncomfortable. My face hurt a bit and my neck and shoulders were getting very tight. I soon realized that this was all because I was fighting the mask without realizing it. Once I let go of the fight and focused on my breathing and light visualizations I was able to relax and “enjoy” the rest of my treatment.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in all of the “what ifs”. What if I start coughing? What if I can’t do this? What if I start freaking out with my head in the mask and there’s nobody in the room? And round and round she goes!
This experience makes me consider ways in which I might “fight the mask” off the table. Do I go with the flow and accept things as they are when that’s the right thing to do? How often do I get caught up in “what ifs” in my life without even realizing it? How does this hold me back from reaching my true potential? Be aware of fighting the mask.
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