How George Clooney Got Me Through Radiation Therapy

Shh… can you keep a secrete? Back in 2014, George Clooney made sweet love to me every day around 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Before his wife gets upset, let me clarify—George Clooney was actually a linear accelerator. The radiation therapy machine. And yes, I really did name him that.

The Reality of Radiation Therapy

Here’s what they don’t always tell you about radiation: you lay on a hard slab with your feet and hands bound while a massive machine rotates around you, making clicking noises.

The actual treatment only lasts five to ten minutes, but those minutes can feel eternal when you’re restrained and exposed.

It’s not pleasant. It’s clinical. It is dehumanizing in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve been there.

Finding Your Coping Mechanism

So you find ways to cope. You have to.

When I asked the technicians what the machine’s name was, they told me he didn’t have one. And I thought, well, if someone’s going to see me naked every day, I want it to be George Clooney.

So that’s who he became.

I’d close my eyes, and as the machine clicked and whirred around me, I’d reimagine those mechanical sounds as something entirely different. Those clicks became kisses.

That intimidating piece of medical equipment became the most handsome man I could think of.

Was it ridiculous? Absolutely. Did it work? Every single day.

Whatever Gets You Through

One viewer commented on the original video:

“I would be embarrassed to admit that but hey, whatever gets you through!!! My husband has cancer. Pancreatic.”

And that’s exactly it—whatever gets you through.

There’s no dignity scorecard when you’re fighting cancer. There’s no prize for suffering through treatments with stoic silence.

If imagining George Clooney (or whoever floats your boat) helps you endure what needs to be endured, then that’s what you do.

The Bigger Picture

Looking back now in 2025, those radiation sessions were just one chapter in what became a much longer story. But in that moment, in 2014, I needed a way to make those daily appointments bearable.

George Clooney—the linear accelerator version—gave me that.

Your Turn

If you’re facing radiation therapy or any other treatment that requires you to lie still, bound, exposed, and vulnerable while machines do their work, find your George Clooney. Find whatever mental trick helps you get through those minutes.

Maybe it’s music in your head. Maybe it’s a meditation mantra. Or, maybe it’s imagining you’re on a beach somewhere instead of on a cold medical table.

There’s no wrong answer. There’s only what works for you.

You do whatever it takes to walk out of that treatment room and face the next day. That’s not embarrassing—that’s survival with creativity.

Looking for more tools to help you cope emotionally — and keep your business going — while navigating treatment? Read my guide on building emotional resilience during breast cancer.

Stay Groovy!