Day Two

Felt like I was learning the ropes. Drank water at the right time, but had  little difficulty with the electronic check in and had to check with Reception. Treatment on time, and very efficient.

And now, a weekend...

Day One

Thursday 28 January finally dawned.

Joanie drove me today, and we set off a little early. On the way to Cheltenham the first early white cherries were starting to flower--always such a hopeful sign for me.

In the Oncology Unit it was a bit like the first day of school. Before my appointment time I had a session with two of the Radiotherapists who went through everything and had me sign my consent form (again). Then I was sent back out to start drinking my 400 ml of water.

Like all first days at school I got the timetable wrong. The forty minutes wait for the treatment starts after the water is drunk. The water from their fountain is exceedingly cold, and drinking four cups of it in ten minutes was not easy, but I did it, and the countdown for treatment began.

At 12:20 I was called in and introduced to my new friend, Linac 9.

Once I was on the bench the threee Radiotherapists spent quite while adjusting it so I was comfortable and in the right position.

Then they sounded the little siren and headed out of the gleamin white bunker. The machine came down and slowly and mysteriously whirled around and did its work. if the background music had not been soft pop,  had been a litttle more technological, or, perhaps Pink Floyd, I could have imagined myself to be in a scene from a science fiction movie.

It seemed to take forever, but in less than fifteen minutes the machine had returned to its resting place, the radiographers rcame back in and helped me off the couch, and I was dismissed.

An equally easy and pleasant drive home in beautiful sunshine, with 2.7% of the treatment now completed..