Radiotherapy

Departing sharp on the morning after the wedding, it was time to say our goodbyes and make our journey to London for the big next step in treatment.  We arrived in London the day before the Queen’s funeral and although everything felt extra sombre there would be no delays to Romy’s treatment – radiotherapy would be commencing on the day of the Queen’s funeral as planned.  It was a hair-raising first three days as Romy really struggled to lay still on the machine for the treatment.  The treatment itself lasted no more than 5 or 10 minutes, but if Romy wriggled the Radiographers would have to get her back into the very precise position needed using her tattoos to help line her up accurately.  Once they were happy with her position the last radiographer to leave the room pressed the ‘last man out’ button on the wall which sounded an alarm to signify it was safe to commence the treatment.   Each day we followed the same routine we had practiced and role played in preparation for this, removing Romy’s top and vest, Romy would press the button to slide the bed of the machine to one side to make a step for her to climb up on and I would lay her in position on the ‘vac bag’ with her arms above her head holding on to handles.   This would always go smoothly until the moment of separation, the moment when she would be left alone in the room with the machines remained the hardest for her.  In the end, in addition to reading stories to her and hearing my voice over the walkie talkie, the thing that swung it for us was the play specialist’s suggestion of having a piece of string tied around her hand to provide a physical link to me.  We could unwind the string up the corridor to where I was allowed to wait and I could gently tug on the string now and again so that she could feel I was still there.  Nevertheless the process each day remained a tricky one and the relief of getting it done each day, putting a sticker on her chart and choosing a bead for her ‘beads of courage’ collection was immense.   Radiotherapy consisted of 12 days of treatment on week days only and although the treatment itself was very quick, the whole process varied from about 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on delays.   Luckily each day she could keep busy with toys from her box in the playroom, or fulfil her job of feeding the fish in the waiting area.  A couple of visits to Tower 11 North during this period were also necessary, once to have her Ng tube replaced after it came out with vomiting, and once for a blood transfusion (required when her hemeoglobin levels dropped in order to optimise the radiotherapy treatment). 

Helen & Tom