So, this morning I visited Northampton Hospital for my final radiotherapy session, so the first battle in the fight back is complete. Trouble is I need to wait a while for the result.
Radiotherapy involves lying on a bench in the middle of a big room with a big machine pointing at your head. The radiographers spend ages lining me up with the green laser beams. Using mirrors and stroking the bones in my head, adjusting the bench millimetre by millimetre, before just telling me not to move and then leaving the room.
After a few moments there is a clunk from the machine, a strange metallic taste in my mouth as the radiation hits. Then a pause as the machine swings to the other side And the process is repeated. lasers, mirrors, “don’t move!”, clunk, taste.
I can now feel the ten sessions, my head feels fuzzy all the time and the taste keeps coming back when my mouth waters. I,m also exhausted, physically and mentally. The steroids im on to reduce the brain swelling make me constantly hungry and my appetite means I am putting on weight rapidly. so I get out of breath very easily.
They did say that the effects of the radiotherapy would build and may worsen in the days that follow the final session. So I am not particularly looking forward to the next few days but at least I have a break before chemotherapy starts and can now focus on having a wonderful Christmas with my amazing family.