First Radiotherapy Session

Yesterday evening was my first radiotherapy treatment session at Clatterbridge Hospital. Quite uneventful to be honest. I arrived at the hospital about 4.10pm for a 4.30pm appointment, and sat in the waiting room in the radiotherapy department. I was weighed and Craig at the hospital explained the procedure to me, but  I didn't actually get in for treatment until about 5.20pm. I know the delays can't be helped and the staff at the hospital are working as efficiently as they can, I just hope its not going to be 5 weeks of waiting around every night. On the other hand, what is a few hours here and there to save my life and get this thing out. I can't complain.

Clatterbridge Hospital is like no other hospital I have seen. Its not the standard waiting room which you tend to see in a typical hospital, which can be quite depressing and intimidating sometimes. It is like waiting in a coffee shop, nice comfy sofas and individual tables with magazines of all kinds sprawled out. I guess they try to make you feel comfortable, I find it puts me at ease easily and I can happily sit and play Clash of Clans or Candy Crush.

I was then reunited with mould. Mould was comfy as usual and I fit in very snuggly. I was lined in with my tattoos to mm precision and the machine started to do its job whizzing around me and making lots of strange noises. There are plenty of screens around which detail all types of dose rates and such, and I couldn't help but move my head slightly to take a quick peek....I learnt my lesson and will not be doing that again after my telling off from the nurse. I will have to keep my curiosity under wraps from now on. 

I didn't feel a thing, I was actually surprised when she told me we were nearly done, I didn't know it had even started. It will be a couple of weeks or so before the soreness might creep into my leg somehow, a bit like sunburn, but they have given me some cream to apply twice a day which should keep the tenderness down.

So......5 more weeks of this, It will become part of my routine as much as waking up each morning.

Also, I posted a link to my blog on Facebook yesterday and I was quite taken aback by the reaction. I was somewhat nervous about sharing my story with people I haven't seen for a long time, but seeing as it was World Cancer Day 2016 I felt the time was right.
Thank you all for your messages of support and I am truly astonished by the kindness of all the people I have had the pleasure to work with or got to know over the years. Also a big thank you to those who shared my post, it means a lot to me.