Two days after it finished.

Finished my radiotherapy on Friday.

After five weeks of treking to and fro to St Thomas's hospital, right on the other side of the thames opposite westminister. I finally reached the last session. Another experiance to file away in the fight with cancer.

The first visit the day before my birthday was like joining a club as a new member, patients sat conversant with the routine, check in at reception then pop your timtable of sessions into the plastic holder on the wall relating to the machine you are booked into. All but 2 of my sessions were in Electa 1 Electa 1 I felt was the superior maching of the two Electa 4 seemed a bit shabby and creaked a bit more. A radiotherapist, a very pretty austrailan girl who i found out later was called Elise sat with me to go through what was going to happen before i went in.

I had already been for a measuring session and knew that i was to lie face down on the bench. They had tattooed three little black spots on the areas that would be radiated.
I lay down after going to the changing room to remove underwear, i made a mental note to ensure that i always wore a skirt or dress or bought one with me each time to chenge into. I had to hitch the skirt up so that they could align the tattoos to the right measurements on the machine. They would cover my legs with a big piece of blue tissue but inevitably this would shift bit by bit making me feel a little moer vulnerable, but quite honestly after a few sessions it really doesn't matter.
By the last few sessions i knew exactly where i needed to be positioned and they didn't have to move me around too much. They would then once i was in position and they had verified the 'co ordinates' 86.3, 72.8 etc they woud say we are off now press a button that would beep to indicate they had gone then the machine would whirr into action.
As i was face down i would shut my eyes and listen to the music on the cd player that they would leave running, i have to say their taste was particulary poor, though on one occasions suddnely by billy ocean started to play and it was all i could do to keep my composure as Joe took to Billy last year in a very ironic fashion and all i could hear was him singing Suddenly!!! with a bit more passion than is required.
The noise of the radio working was very particular a kind of buzz that would change in duration each time, i counted the longest at about 15 seconds. The noise would start stop and then the machine would whir into another position and buzz again i think about 10 buzzes in total though i never counted. As soon as the last buzz finished i would hear the steps of the radiographers returning and begin to pull my skirt down, they would have to lower the bench and i had to make sure the machine wasn't right above my head before getting up and off.
The first three weeks i drove part way and then got the bus which dropped me right outside. In the last two weeks with the radiotherapy now making it difficult to hold going to the loo i drove all the way in. Paid a fortune for parking but at least got the congestion charge back, and i didn't need to go on the bus which i hated.
After the session i would go back into work but now i have finished i really feel i need a couple of days at home.