12-19 Radiation Therapy and the machine

Posting late tonight. Busy day. Trying to get to work early and taking short lunches to make up appointment times. I did take a photo this morning but I don't know where I put the camera.
Here's the scoop on what radiation does for me. don't miss the video links below showing what a treatment session looks like. 

Radiation Therapy 

Radiation therapy — also called radiotherapy — is a highly targeted, highly effective way to destroy cancer cells in the breast that may stick around after surgery. Radiation can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence

Radiation therapy uses a special kind of high-energy beam to damage cancer cells. (Other types of energy beams include light and x-rays.) These high-energy beams, which are invisible to the human eye, damage a cell’s DNA, the material that cells use to divide.

Over time, the radiation damages cells that are in the path of its beam — normal cells as well as cancer cells. But radiation affects cancer cells more than normal cells. Cancer cells are very busy growing and multiplying — 2 activities that can be slowed or stopped by radiation damage. And because cancer cells are less organized than healthy cells, it's harder for them to repair the damage done by radiation. So cancer cells are more easily destroyed by radiation, while healthy, normal cells are better able to repair themselves and survive the treatment. 

 I am treated with a machine called a  linear accelerator.It  is very high tech, it looks like something out of star wars.They dim the lights and play nice music. 

First video, a regular guy made a video of one of his sessions. I am in the same machine as this one but mine does not go down below me for treatment, I get the top and side shots.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbCfQRzocjI

Second video is a very detailed tutorial made by a treatment center. Tells you specifically about breast treatment  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFyPZgRbyvE