Radiation Vibes

Monday was another big day, the morning was full of meetings with Doctors, and finally in the afternoon I got my fluid drained.

For this, I insisted on as much sedation as they were prepared to give me. What they did give me, in my opinion, wasn't quite enough. 

Its a simple little procedure, one of the doctors who'd been looking after me since I was admitted performed it, in my room, with Dave at my side. I was a little bit too aware of what was going on. I didn't enjoy it.

The hope was the drain would be out again before the end of the day. It wasn't.

At least it should be out tomorrow before I have my first radiation session. Nope.

That's not to say it all went badly. It was fine really. In the face of such minor procedures it can be hard to get medical people to understand just how badly I handle it all.

I do have some photos but they are totally gross so I'm not putting them up.

The drain stayed in overnight and by the time it came out the next day four litres of fluid had been removed. That's quite a lot in a little person like me. I felt much better for it.

So even for the removal of the drain, which is a much easier procedure, I insisted on all the sedation I could get. Again, I feel it fell a little bit short, but it was easier in general.

This was not before I had my first Radiation treatment though. Me and my bag went down to the ground floor to the Holman Clinic.

It's quite an amazing room where it's done. 

This is the ceiling.

This is the machine.

And they play music! The team are lovely, and most of the appointment is spent by them making sure you and the machine are lined up perfectly, then they leave the room, and you are zapped for only a minute it seems, and that's it.

As I'm writing this I've had all of my 5 planned radiation treatments. Here is the songs I got during my treatment. My radiation playlist.

Day 1: Queen - Killer Queen

Day 2: A lovely Classical piece I can't find the name of

Day 3: The Beatles - Penny Lane

Day 4: Johnny Cash - One Piece at a Time

Day 5: Stealers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle With You

So I was pretty happy with this. So far the side effects have been mild but I might still flare up with a stronger sunburn like sensation. 

On Wednesday I went home. It was a big relief, but also a little bit scary. This is one of the first photos I took, on the way back to the car.