I work for a company that manufactures these machines and we endlessly talk about the patient experience. Itās something we all donāt understand unless we have been there. I asked my colleagues who sell, market and work clinically with these machines around the number of sessions and was strongly advised to take the lower dose with more sessions than the higher radiation and fewer sessions- it being safer overall.
I was afraid starting radiotherapy. The big cold room, the cold breast plate I had to lay on, being left alone and not being able to move. I breathed through it. I spoke to the nurses. I wore crop top type bras I could pull down or singlet tops with a bra in them so I could regain my dignity quickly.
I got to know the machine. How it moved, the colours, the marks on it, the sounds. The stickers on it they had for the kids, they calmed me as well. Each session after the first was very quick, in and out in 15min.
Radiotherapy was not as scary as I imagined. Is there something that could help you with it? Taking along something, finding out more info, a song you can listen to, a ritual afterwards? I used to walk then have a good coffee afterwards. On the last day I swapped coffee for wine š. Be kind to yourself, you can do this x
