22. My First Tattoos
I had been told to allow up to three hours for my radiotherapy planning to take place at Peter Mac. I decided to go on my own this time as I guessed it would have been a lot of sitting around and waiting for my husband. I wasn’t sure if he would even be allowed to come into the room during the process. I knew that it involved a lot of laying very still, naked from the waist up with strangers I’d only just met and then being scanned. I sent a text to a friend who had been through the same treatment about six months before. “I’m about to head off and perfect my ‘Reclining Nude’ pose for the next couple of hours at Peter Mac” I quipped. She replied later with “Howzit going calendar girl? Let’s catch up for coffee soon”. We have the same sense of humour and I found her attitude a real boost. It was also good to chat with someone who had experienced the same as I was facing and who was so positive about it all.
I was met by a student who was rather uncomfortable, and that was just calling out my name and pointing the direction to go! The female radiation therapist doing the scanning that day was great. She showed me the ‘lockers’ where my gown would be kept during treatment and then led me to the waiting area for scanning. I was given a red plastic basket, like a supermarket basket and a gown and shown the change rooms. These baskets would become an everyday part of my life once I started treatment.
I changed into a blue gown, but tied up at the front. That’s the standard method of wear when dealing with breast cancer. I was taken into a room with the student and met another radiation therapist – a male. He seemed really nice and I figured this was just a job to him and there would be nothing he hadn’t seen before.
I had to lie on a hard, narrow black bed and wriggle around until they were happy with my position and have bolsters placed under my knees. At the head of the bed was the huge scanner. That part would come later. I had to put my arms up over my head and hold onto two small handles. And I was NOT to move. This machine is called a simulator. The idea is to simulate the exact position I would be in during treatment. A lot of the measurements are taken to map exactly where the ribs, heart and lung are. Then a 3D ‘map’ is made, to ensure as much protection as possible .is given to the ribs and vital organs during radiation. Red laser lights were switched on and criss crossed my body. A lot of measurements had to be taken and checked and cross checked. At first, everything was marked on my body with a blue chinograph pencil. The staff were great and put me at ease and we chatted about what they were doing and everything else in general. One would measure with a ruler and call out the measurements. These were taken from certain standard points on the body. They were entered into the computer by the other radiologist. Then they checked each others measurements. When they were satisfied with these, they called the oncologist down to check that she was happy with them. She increased the coverage area around my lymph nodes – it’s amazing how far the breast tissue flattens out when you lay on your back! Then the black marker pen came out and dotted lines were marked around the area to receive radiation When she was happy with it, it was time to get scanned.
The staff informed me exactly what would happen and the bed was moved into the scanner. Some people find scanners claustrophobic, but this one was fairly large and I was only in it up to my lower ribs. The staff called it the ‘washing machine’. It was rather like a tub of an old washing machine. There were more red lights and it spun around, then they advised me when the actual scanning would take place (more noise) and reminded me not to move at all. Though I was reminded to breathe. Thank goodness for that!
It didn’t seem to take very long and the machine stopped and I was slowly ‘ejected’. The final step was to get tattoos! I’d get five of them, which would help the radiation therapists line me up in the correct position during each treatment. They involved a small pin prick and some ink being put into the spot. I had one on the centre of my breastbone, two more on my ribs at the side of each breast and one towards the bottom of my ribs on either side.
As I sat up I looked at my chest. What a work of art! I looked like a runway! All lines and dots and ‘tatts’ with crosses at certain points. I did take a photo when I got home, just for posterity, of course! The staff admired their handiwork and there were plenty of good natured jokes about the artwork and their skill.
Then it was time to get changed again and chat with Lisa about what was next.
She explained to me there was a ‘quite a demand’ for radiotherapy at the moment and I would probably have to wait about 10 weeks. TEN WEEKS! I was expecting to wait 3-4 weeks as I’d been told and was pretty shocked and disappointed when she told me it would be that long. I wanted to get this done and move on from this cancer business. I had things to do and a wedding to be well for. She gave me her number and said to call in the first week of July if I hadn’t heard from them.
I went home feeling rather subdued and didn’t find my tattoos all that amusing any more as I wondered just how I would get through this next 10 weeks.