Nausea is a rare side effect so trust me to get it *tuts* *rolls eyes*
The tiredness hit me properly around Wednesday and part of that could just be the travelling to Oxford and back every day for treatment. I am also still very tired from chemo and need a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon. It has to be said that radiotherapy is a doddle compared to chemotherapy though. Mind you, after my experience with chemo, being dragged by a bus whilst being continuously kicked in the head and guts, is a doddle. Lets not dwell on chemo though, the fucking prick.
Monday 10th June and I arrive at the Churchill hospital for my first radiotherapy treatment. I have already had my tattoos done on a previous appointment. They are nothing fancy just three dots. One in the middle of my chest and one on each side of my body. These are permanent dots and are used to help line up and measure exactly where the radiation will be zapped to kill those pesky cancer cells.
I am called in to see the nurse first to sign consent forms and to go through the list of side effects and then I am sent round to where the radiotherapy actually takes place. This is where I come face to face with the radiation zapping machine for the first time.
IT IS MASSIVE.
I feel slightly intimidated by it at first but the nurses let me have a good look at it and let me get my bearings. My first thought is that it looks like a giant coffee machine. There is a plastic bench in front of it with rests where my arms will be placed above my head. I am asked to remove my top clothes and to make myself comfortable (pfffft) on the plastic bench. I am given a modesty garment, or a pillow case as we might call it, to cover myself just while the nurses themselves get adjusted.
Once semi comfortable, the nurse remove my modesty pillow case and I am laid bare with my arms above my head and then the pushing and shoving begins as the nurses need to get me into the exact same position every time. They work within millimetres so lots of numbers and talk of soup ( don't ask, but it's obviously a technical term ) are going on around my head.
I have now realised that the lights have gone off and there are green laser beams all around me. Two are coming from the wall either side of me. One is directly in front of me and the other is on the ceiling right above my head. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass of the machine and notice the green lines all over my chest. This is it, I think to myself. This is the bit where I turn into the Incredible Hulk!!
The nurses finally seem happy with their numbers after about 10 mins of shuffling this way and that and I am told not to move now. The whole machine has rotated and has been bought down so it is quite close to the side of my head. An alarm goes off and all the nurses leave the room. I start to feel a little nervous now. The machine starts buzzing and I'm suddenly in a spy movie. The line "No Mr Bond, I expect you to die" goes through my head.
Two minutes later and the nurses come back in and they position the machine round to the other side of my head. They tell me that I am half way through and to continue staying still. They leave the room once more and the buzzing starts again. After a couple of more minutes the nurses come in to tell me that I am all done for today. One radiotherapy done, only 19 more to go.
This will be repeated every day for the first three weeks. This is to treat the whole breast. The final week I will be given a booster. The booster targets just the tumour site.
Like I said before, side effects after week one have been nausea and tiredness. My boob is starting to feel a little sore, like it's been rubbed a little too much but I am applying plenty of moisturising cream so at the moment it's nothing too bad.
Also I'd just like to add a little reminder that tomorrow, Sunday 16th June, I am taking part in the Race for Life. I have already raised £1500 in aid of cancer research, which I am totally amazed by and I thank you all so so much for your donations. It's always nice to try and raise a little bit more, so if you haven't already then please PLEASE sponsor me on the link below. If that link doesn't work then find me @Lolly_Knickers on twitter and donate on the link that is on my bio. If you have sponsored me already, then please RT and share this blog. I might get an extra fiver from a lovely kind hearted stranger. MWAH xxx 
