Monday to Friday I am off to the hospital for my radiation treatment. The daily dose is 2 Gy 2 Grays* (named after Louis Gray, a radiobiologist from London, who worked together with a number of prominent physicists, including Lawrence Bragg, Nobel prize in physics, 1915). In total I will get a dose of 60 Gy, which means 30 visits to the radiotherapy ward. So far, the treatment has gone very well. Apart from a brief period of nausea last weekend, I have been in good shape and have managed daily exercise in the gym or on extended walks – I am not allowed to run as the pounding of the ground might affect the tissues being treated.
Due to the pandemic, friends and relatives are not allowed to accompany patients to their treatment. A consequence of this is that the only people on the treatment side of the department doors either have some form of cancer or are there as part of the treatment teams, including support and cleaning staff. The conversations are therefore direct and straight to the point. Each person has some form of tumour in some part of their body, and almost everyone has some amusing anecdote to tell about their treatment or consequences thereof. It is very refreshing to feel the positive attitude of each of my fellow team-mates in the fight against our tumours. Each is prepared to put up a good fight and to ultimately win.
As mentioned, I am in good health and very optimistic about my treatment. I leave you, therefore with this:
There was a guy from Port Sunlight
Who was given a terrible fright
They found a tumour
Which he treated with humour
And harassed it so it took flight!
All watercolours by Jenny Holland
Topherblog 
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