November 28th

T-29. Today, as I return for radiation dose number four, it is all becoming routine. A few minutes in the waiting room then down the hall and into the “chamber”. I slide unto the table and wiggle my head into the custom headrest. Next comes the mask and as they fit it snuggly around my face, head, and shoulders I hear the snaps lock it in place. At that moment, I feel like an astronaut being prepped for a flight into deep space. I think about playing out that fantasy in my head while the whatever it is, whirrs softly as it circles my head, “Hal …. open the door”. Then fifteen minutes later, I hear the welcome voice of the technician as she reenters the room and let’s me know we are finished. Hal has opened the door. For those of you to young to remember or old enough but never much into sci fi, a shameful nod to “2001 A Space Odyssey.” And so concludes day four of treatment. The next two days are mine to rest and regroup and then it’s back to the routine.