Cancer SUCKS. We repeat that mantra many times. It is an insidious disease that ravages strong people, kills too many, and causes families to suffer. The treatments are traumatic but do offer patients some hope. After completing her radiation therapy for cancer, Emily Carpenter received a unique souvenir.
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Chemotherapy assaults cancer cells with massive doses of medications that “poison” cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses a targeted energy beam to target and kill cancer cells. Emily has a long history of cancer that began when she was just nine years old. She shared her incredible fight for life in a slideshow on TikTok, including the cancer souvenir she has from her most recent battle.
To understand the significance of the souvenir, we need to learn about radiation cancer treatment. The therapy uses beams of intense energy targeted directly at the cancer. To keep a patient still so that the radiation goes precisely where they aim it, they “lock” the patient onto the table. A custom-fitted shell cradles the body part and locks it in place. The shell is bolted to the table, restricting a patient’s movement.
The treatment is scary enough, but once they lock a patient to the table and restrict movement, it becomes worse. The shells are an integral part of this targeted therapy. Radiation can also damage healthy cells. The shells focus the energy beams to affect the least number of healthy cells possible.
People use these cancer souvenirs in different ways. My brother took his out and used it for firearms target practice. Another friend turned theirs into a creepy Halloween decoration. We’re unsure what Emily plans for her helmet, but she’ll happily tell her followers on TikTok.
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You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.
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