My rearranged radiotherapy planning session took place at Maidstone Hospital (no facilities for R/T at Medway) and we had to allow at least an hour for traffic and parking which is a nightmare. I was asked if I'd prefer any particular time of day for the appointments and I chose afternoon so we didn't have to get up too early and/or battle rush hour traffic, but in actual fact they're mostly quite late in the afternoon so I think we’ll get stuck in the evening traffic. Never mind, working folk have to fit it in around their jobs but we're lucky and have lots of time to spare.
As I mentioned before this Cancer Unit is huge and impersonal, but we found our way to the R/T reception which unfortunately seemed to be manned by someone in their very first day of work (despite looking mid 50s!). I gave my name and appointment time and without even looking up at me she uttered the dreaded words
- "The computer system is down so I don't know where you have to go"
- "Well I've never been here before, so I don't know either" I batted back.
- "What's your name?" I repeated it "You're not on my list"
I explained about the rearranged appointment
- "What's your name?" This third time she actually wrote it down
Luckily a colleague with a brain turned up then and took over, told me to take a seat in the waiting area and phoned though to the relevant person to say I'd arrived.
A youngish, male, radiographer came out to collect me and asked me to take all my top half clothing off and put on a button through shirt, but NOT to undo the shoulder poppers as this causes no end of problems - intriguing!
I was then taken into a fairly large room with a couch and CT scanner and the chap asked what treatment I was expecting as well as the usual name and DOB. Fortunately we both agreed it was for radiotherapy to the right breast. I was then introduced to another radiographer (male and very, very young). I don't mind who treats me and I was aware it might be males but when the third bloke appeared I did feel a little bit outnumbered especially as I knew I was going to end up topless on a couch with my arms in rests behind my head!!!! Luckily the 4th one to join us was female and a Jenny.
The couch is exactly the same as the one I'll be on for the R/T and has a wedge halfway down to stop your butt sliding down and removable underknee rests and arm rests. (I forgot to take my phone in with me but it looked a little like this and was placed on top of the couch)
With my arms in the overhead rests I then had to shuffle up and down and measurements were taken to ensure I was in the correct position. Then the purpose of the poppers was clear, once in position the radiographers could simply unpop the top of the shirt and pull it down. I was drawn on, each side below the armpits and also on the centre of my chest, and then had to get off and on the couch again to make sure I would be back in exactly the same position.
Once all 4 of them were happy that the marks were in the correct places, they all left the room and I was told to stay very still while the CT scan was done - the scanner looks like a large polo mint to me.
