Hi Vicky,
I wish you all the best with your radiation simulation and treatment tomorrow. I think you mentioned that you are getting external-beam radiation. Or maybe I just assume you are getting external-beam radiation because you are having a simulation. External-bean radiation therapy is radiation given from a machine outside the body. During the simulation, they may have to make small pen marks or tattoos to mark where they will set the radiation beam for each treatment. This helps the treatment be precise.

Here's a little more explanation of what to expect https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=34&contentid=19551-1

Above all, Vicky, I encourage you to let the team know how anxious you are and how difficult it is to be touched, especially in this region of YOUR body. I'm confident that you will be treated with dignity and respect.

A few other things to prepare yourself for. The radiation therapist will carefully help you into the right position and will move big camera like machines to get the beam in the right position. The machine will never touch you, but it might make whirring noises and move around. Remember it is a machine and it can't touch you. You may find it uncomfortable that the radiation therapist is looking at you and focusing on your position, but remember that she is your team mate. Think about it this way. She is staring down those nasty cancer cells and giving them the hairy eye ball (I hope that makes you giggle). The machines are the big guns and their laser beams are going to zap those nasty cells.

If you wish, your husband can be with you while your being positioned etc. Both your husband and the technician have to leave the room when the radiation is given, but this takes only seconds and then they'll come right back in. You can also talk to them for the few seconds they are not in the room if you need to.

Please visualize that Teresa will be holding one hand and I the other. We're there with you virtually. And remember to breathe. You can do this.