Radiotherapy

Last Thursday I had my first appointment with the oncologist to discuss the radiotherapy treatment. I really liked this doctor, she was very communicative and gave me all the information I needed, even before I had the chance to ask anything.

I will be having 25 fractions, every day from Monday to Friday. No start date has been set yet but it should be somewhere during the second week of January.

The radiotherapy planning will start in the first week of January. I’ll be having a CT scan and three little dots tattooed on my chest which will help position the machine and make sure the same area is treated every time. With the help of a simulator the radiographer will collect data which will allow him find the correct position for the treatment and ensure the right area is treated every time. The machine has to be positioned as accurately as possible to avoid treating healthy tissue. This doesn’t sound like something that can be done in 5 minutes so I guess I will have to lie very still for quite some time. I hope I can listen to some music or take a nap.

Radiotherapy is in itself painless, but there are some side effects such as lethargy and skin burns. All I know is that it is much lighter than chemotherapy and that is what I wanted to hear.

In the meantime I have a couple of weeks off to enjoy and relax. No more hospitals, clinics, nurses, doctors, serious conversations and decisions to make until next year.