Radiotherapy commences.

Like I said, the waiting list was long.  One of the machine broke down so no one called me for the first appointment.

I called them instead. I told them my beast was classified "aggressive" and that I've called several times.  It worked. I got my appointment and this morning's session was the third.

The crowd was different. Chinese patients were in the majority. None of those in my "batch" was here. I could only assume that they hadn't been scheduled for the treatment.

Before the treatment began, one of the radiotherapists spoke to me.  No pain is expected but my skin may turn red, dry and itchy over the next few days.  I was advised not to use any soap or cream on the treatment area.

Next, I was ushered into the same room where the CT Simulation was conducted. I settled on a moving bed, my head on a cup-like structure while both my arms lifted onto the arm rest above my head.  They started marking my chest all over again, a few cm from this point, a few cm from that and a final red cross on a strategic point.

The red light was switched on. My body was shifted a little here, a little there to align the markings with that of the machine.  I was asked not to move and while I remained thus, my heart went boo-boop-boop-boop-boop-boo-boop!

Finally, a rubber shield was placed over my chest (to replace the surgically removed flesh), the attendants left the room and the machine murmured to life.  A huge disc easily 2 feet in diameter positioned itself a foot away at my two o'clock position.  The machine went "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek" then stopped. Now the disc shifted to my ten o'clock position.  The machine went "eeeeeeeeeeeek" a second time.  I almost jumped out of my skin.  It scared the living daylights out of me.

I'll be going for 20 of such sessions in the days to come.