1 down and 34 to go

Today was the first session of my personally designed “haute couture” radiotherapy programme. 

I walked Mini with my regular companions at 9 am and set off for Chelsea just before 10am.  

I arrived in good time and made my way downstairs to the radiotherapy reception. This was where I came just over three years ago for the four sessions of brachytherapy that I had following my hysterectomy. My schedule told me that I was to be treated in the Reuben suite, and the receptionist (who incidentally was just starting her job when I came before) showed me kindly to one of two waiting areas. I remembered that I should possibly be drinking lots of water, so started on the water cooler whilst I waited to be called in. 

When you start something new, there’s always that level of anxiety surrounding the unknown. I wasn’t scared - just slightly perturbed that I wasn’t too sure what was going to happen.... I felt similar when I started the immunotherapy 18 months ago....... it became second nature to have a cannula sited regularly and take my seat whilst waiting for the infusion.........  this was new however. 

At around 11.15,  I was collected by one of the radiographers, and taken through the sealed and locked doors into the collection  of therapy suites, of which Reuben was one. As we walked, she asked me if I had any questions ........ and I relied that I didn’t yet! But I might afterwards. 

I was told to just remove my shoes - (that’s a first!) and  was shown in to the Suite -  A big spacious room dominated by a futuristic looking machine in the middle, and a couch. They showed me how to lie on the couch (I automatically went to lie on it with my feet at the head end....duh) and then the three ‘chambermaids’ shunted me around a bit between them until they were satisfied that I was strategically placed correctly. (They did have to move my outer garments around and down a bit in order to locate my tats) They obviously had to line up my tattooed dots with the prescribed beams. They said that they would put some music on for me - I requested something that I could sing along to - and then they left, promising me that it would only take about ten minutes. At this point I reflected that maybe choosing to watch the Amazon series ‘Chernobyl’ last week with Peter might not have been the wisest of plans.

The yellow x ray lights started flashing,  then stayed on, and I waited...... firstly for the music to play, and then for something to happen.  

The music never happened, but then the big machine started moving gently and silently around me. It’s the weirdest sensation - you KNOW that you’re being besieged by something, yet you feel nothing at all! I was trying to work out which way the beams were directed - but just couldn’t. I know that I’ve read that one can get burns from the x rays - both where the beam enters, but also where it exits. Well - I don’t have a clue where that beam was either firing from, or where it was landing!

Anyway - after no time at all the girls came in and said it was all over (the yellow warning lights must have gone off, but I didn’t notice when). I asked what had happened to the promised disco, and they looked perplexed........ “we were listening to it” they told me - but apparently they hadn’t turned the volume up for the Reuben Suite resident to share the tunes! They assured me that tomorrow, they’ll get it right - but then proceeded to tell me that actually tomorrow, I’m in a different suite. I believe that Reuben is having a makeover, and I shall be in Brunel .......... 

I was released - and out back in to the daylight. Caught a bus almost straight away, and also caught a train as soon as I arrived at Clapham Junction too........ I treated myself to some very cheap sunglasses from Accessorise before catching the train (I may need to be incognito in the days ahead) and I was home and having a cup of tea by 1 pm. 

I decided that although I felt ok, I might just go upstairs for a rest - and would you believe it? I fell asleep whilst watching MAFSA (shameful guilty habit instilled in me by Denys Rasmussen).\

Today, I had loads of people messaging me and wishing me luck - quite a few little poo emoticons were peppered throughout the messages - thank you for that..... I can safely say that so far, I just have a bit of a headache but that could be from napping during the afternoon. 

Peter did ask me if there was a “ping” and the door opened automatically when I was cooked...........

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When I first woke up this morning, I was reading a post by an American gentleman on one of the Immunotherapy groups that I’m in  - talking about feeling that control had been taken from you........... he was telling us that many years ago, when he was training to be a pilot, his instructor had reminded him that HE was flying the plane  - and not to let the plane fly him. He used this as an analogy to describe how he needs to run his own life, and not to let his life run away with him. Well.... I liked that analogy, so described the start of my radiotherapy as my first flying lesson!

You’ll all be relieved to know that today I managed to not only take off - but I also landed, and suffered no turbulence whatsoever............

Oh - and in the toilets in the waiting area, there‘s a poster advertising challenges for fundraising - and showing a picture of a skydiver....... got me thinking.