Today was my last day of treatment at the Tom Wheldon Building of the Beatson Cancer Hospital in Glasgow: Scotland's centre of excellence for cancer treatment. It is the end of over seven weeks of weekday attendance. It was a day of very mixed emotions. Of course it will be good not be be cooked any more. Mind you the last information I was given was a warning that I would continue to cook for the next two weeks and then the radiation effects would cease and I would start the 'recovery' process. Well I feel great today and have no plans for feeling otherwise!
I will miss the afternoon group of people whom I have met and who have, for the most part, bonded so well. In particular I shall miss Junior and Marlene who have been such an inspiration to the group. I already miss Brian who left a few weeks ago but who was the ringleader and who named Junior, himself and me the Three Musketeers. I shall miss Alastair who has so many things wrong and yet is one of the most naturally humorous and droll of people. I shall miss Robin, Bill, Raymond, and Nan. Even Cathy the new girl on the block was proving to be a wonderful recruit to the cause. I will miss the lot of you.
And I will miss the staff. What wonderful staff the Radiographers are. It is a serious and demanding job. We (the afternoon crowd) estimated that about 500 people a day pass through their hands. I have no idea what the success rate of radiotherapy is but whatever it is a huge number of people are alive today because of the job radiographers do. And the staff of T R C at the Tom Wheldon Building do it with professionalism and good humour and tolerance.
The positioning of each person in the machine is crucial and involves some manipulation and fine tuning of our body position on the slab. When one of our number made a comment on the 'manipulation' of his legs, one of the staff had us all cracking up when her response was reported back as "if you hear a crack, make a wish". I bet I know who it was too!
Thank you one and all. It's been a challenging seven weeks at times but I shall miss you all.
I will miss the afternoon group of people whom I have met and who have, for the most part, bonded so well. In particular I shall miss Junior and Marlene who have been such an inspiration to the group. I already miss Brian who left a few weeks ago but who was the ringleader and who named Junior, himself and me the Three Musketeers. I shall miss Alastair who has so many things wrong and yet is one of the most naturally humorous and droll of people. I shall miss Robin, Bill, Raymond, and Nan. Even Cathy the new girl on the block was proving to be a wonderful recruit to the cause. I will miss the lot of you.
And I will miss the staff. What wonderful staff the Radiographers are. It is a serious and demanding job. We (the afternoon crowd) estimated that about 500 people a day pass through their hands. I have no idea what the success rate of radiotherapy is but whatever it is a huge number of people are alive today because of the job radiographers do. And the staff of T R C at the Tom Wheldon Building do it with professionalism and good humour and tolerance.
The positioning of each person in the machine is crucial and involves some manipulation and fine tuning of our body position on the slab. When one of our number made a comment on the 'manipulation' of his legs, one of the staff had us all cracking up when her response was reported back as "if you hear a crack, make a wish". I bet I know who it was too!
Thank you one and all. It's been a challenging seven weeks at times but I shall miss you all.
The Tom Wheldon Building at The Beatson
Thanks Nan.
A Recipe Book with some real goodies - Thanks to Junior and Marlene
Raphael: The angel of divine healing. From Marlene.
SO "Glad" that you're feeling well, GB!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great group of people who make the best of a not-so-great-situation. I am also glad that you were surrounded by many of those "Raphaels"...
;^)
I know you are a good cook but |I hope the rest of the cooking process is not too painful and uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteWonderful news! Now, don't go swimming too much, or otherwise you'll be steamed and ready to eat!
ReplyDeleteGood luck and lots of love.
Fantastic! Glad it's all over now. Fingers crossed that you feel better soon, xxx
ReplyDelete