All Things Radioactive

My writing this week has been mostly limited to a few notes or impressions jotted each day in a journal I keep in my car, what I’m calling for now my “Radiation Journal.” I started my radiation treatments this week. For a few minutes each day I travel to the hospital to be strapped down on a flat bed, have my custom, purple, mesh mask snapped down tight over my face and shoulders and am raised up close to the “Linear Accelerator” to have cancer-preventing radiation buzzed at me for a few minutes. By having this treatment my chances of having my neck/throat cancer stay away for good will be greatly increased—and I like that idea.

According to my doctor and nurses most people feel nothing during their first couple weeks of radiation treatment. Apparently I’m not most people. To be honest, radiation, this week, has kicked my ass. My neck and ears feel lightly sunburned, the inside of my mouth swollen, my neck tight, and my body mildly nauseous and fatigued. When I get home from work I’m good for mostly laying down and falling asleep. Don’t even get me started about the horrible taste that lingers in my mouth. Bitter/tinny/sour—kinda like Godzilla’s ass, I’m guessing.

I'm waiting for my radioactive breath and or super powers to kick in. Maybe next week?

Today will be my first complete week of radiation treatment, 

with five more to go. Wish me luck. 

In honor of this I’ve decided to blog about 

My Favorite Radioactive Things, in no particular order.

Cosmic Radiation

Some say 1/10^th of our annual radiation dosage arrives from space.
Honorable mention: The Sun.

Air Travel & Airport Security Scans

Fun Fact: The higher elevation of riding in a plane exposes you to a higher dosage of radiation than if you’d stayed at home.

Radioactive Comic Book Characters (and there are many, many more)

Doctor Manhattan (disintegrated in the “intrinsic field”)

Spiderman (bit by radioactive spider)

The Incredible Hulk (gamma ray radiation)

Radioactive Man and Fallout Boy from the Simpsons (atomic bomb)

Superman (gets power from the Sun) Note: The Animated Series rocks!

Microwaves

Safety tip: don’t stand in front of them while cooking your food. Faulty microwave door seals can leak harmful radiation.

The Earth

Soil and water are sources of radiation that can be absorbed by breathing, and/or eating crops and drinking water. Some foods that supposedly have been tested to have a higher level of radiation: bananas and Brazil nuts

The Neutron Bomb

Cell Phones

Nuff said.

Godzilla
Of course!

Medical Radiation

Me (and You)

Right now I’m feeling a bit more radioactive than the typical person, but supposedly we American’s take in on average 360 millirem per year into our bodies.

These Radioactive Songs

The Firm’s Radioactive

Imagine Dragon’s Radioactive

(best stuffed animal fight, ever)

Wishing you health, peace and as little radiation as possible.

Mark

@manowords