Day 193: Four new tattoos

I had my radiotherapy planning session today.  I walked in the door to the oncology radiation rooms, my name was called and off I went with the lovely Kate.  This was not before noticing, however, that one of the 2 radiotherapy machines was running 30 minutes late.  Note to self: ring before leaving home just to check.  At least today all it was fine for me.

Kate took me into a room with a CT machine and explained that she was going to situate and measure me for my radiotherapy appointments.  I was also going to need to sign the consent form, which Dr. Susan would come in and run me through.  She was on a call, so I had to wait a bit, so Swoops checked things out and mucked around as follows:

Swoops doesn't quite fit on the CT bed

"Well, I don't have hands..."

Dr. Susan came in and talked me through the form, which I signed.  Then I hopped onto the CT machine and Kate aligned me as she saw fit, then marked 4 key spots in marker.  These are to identify the area to be treated as well as to align me on the radiotherapy machine.  One she was satisfied, she put stickers on the spots then put me through the machine.  Once I was out, she tattooed the spots (each about the size of a freckle) so they would be permanent.  She have me a card with my appointment times (which I booked differently for school term and school holidays) and a bar code, which I to scan upon my daily arrival so they know I'm there.  I was all finished in about 20 minutes.  Not bad.  My first return visit is in 10 days, and hopefully the experience is as painless.

I am finally starting to feel not like rubbish.  It took me until tonight but I'll take what I can get - like the beautiful dinner that La dropped by.  I am so lucky for my wonderful friends.  Emma brought the kids some Belgian waffles for dessert as a make up for the waffles she missed at Harmony Day on Wednesday and cried terribly about missing.  All are happy at the end of this week.