Hi, I had nine sessions of radiotherapy and always had young women during the sessions but on one of my last sessions I had a young man along with a girl. By then I just flung my top off and got myself into position as I just wanted it over and done with.
Of course if you feel uncomfortable then ask for an all female team, I’m sure they will be understanding.
Update: I’ve now had two sessions and both have been with female staff, who have been very understanding of my feelings. I wear a crop top which I pull down for treatment and they keep me covered up with paper as much as possible. When treatment is over they tell me over the microphone and I am able to pull my crop top back up before they’re even back in the room. I still hate every second and I have to fight the impulse to cover myself up but I just close my eyes and try to go somewhere else in my head.
The only downside of asking for a female only team is that my appointments are all over the place in order to accommodate it. Some are 8am, some are 6.15pm. As I have to travel about 1.5hrs to get to the hospital, the 8am appointments are going to be brutal! That said, I am super grateful they’ve sorted out female only appointments and I’m happy to do whatever is needed for this to happen. Well, maybe not happy with 6.30am starts, but it’s doable 
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Well done @sharlou for making it this far! It will be another part of this darned ‘journey’ that you will be so glad to see the back of. Sending hugs to see you through to the end. 
xx
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Hi, so glad that you are tolerating it and you have female staff. It will soon be done. I dont envy the 6.30 starts though. Best wishes x
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Great news @sharlou . Just a word of warning that you get very tired during radio and the early mornings may be more of a struggles if you’re driving yourself. ( I’m assuming from your post as you haven’t mentioned some taking you). I had 5 high dose on both sides and was ok to drive for the first 3, had a weekend off and by Monday I was completely knackered.
Thinking of you 
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Yeah I’m a bit worried about the fatigue but I don’t have many other options 
I’m having 20 sessions and no one can take 4 weeks off work to be my chauffeur. Family are able to do some of the driving but at least half will be done by me. It’s outrageous that people from South Cumbria have to do an at least 3 hour round trip for radiotherapy when guidance says no one should have to travel for more than 45 minutes for treatment 
150 miles a day for 20 days is going to be brutal
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That is really tough. I thought I had it bad in South Wales with a 30 mile trip to the cancer centre, 40 miles to breast unit and 50 miles to one chemo outreach place, the quickest was 40 minutes the farthest was 1 1/2 hours due to rural roads.
I live on the border with England and it would have been nearer to go there but devolved healthcare says otherwise. When I was offered the 50 miles away they did offer hospital transport but I could have been out for the whole day for 40 minute session which I didn’t want to do. Is hospital transport an option for you if you need it?
My team did 5 days high dose instead of 15 lower dose. Are you having 5 extra boosts?
I hope you manage to get through it all ok.
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I had only 5 treatments and stayed with a family member otherwise it would have been almost 4 hours of just driving - and I think it would have been to much . I had to go a bit further because of being on a medical trial and most people who live near have their treatment in a different centre - but it’s still a 3 hour round trip. My friend who went most recently elected to stay nearby with her partner rather than drive but obviously that’s not an option for a lot of people.
My appointment time were also not consistent - I had one at 6pm then the next was 9am . I didn’t ask for female radiographers though they all were women and in retrospect I wonder if this was the reason. Getting there for 8am - that’s tough . Xx
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Same problem here with the hospital transport - I’d be out of the house pretty much all day for a 10 minute appointment, I just can’t face that at all! I am sooooo tired today - letrozole is causing insomnia so I only managed 4 hours sleep last night, then up at 5am to get to the hospital. Ugh. Roll on 19 Feb 
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Yes one of my colleagues went by Ambulance and said it was horrendous and took all day. I get travel sick so that wouldn’t have been for me either. Some places do offer voluntary drivers - someone else I know was driven there and back just her in the car . Don’t suppose there’s anything like that on offer ? Xx
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Nothing like that here sadly. I did send an email to my MP about the excessive travel for South Cumbria cancer patients though and she has asked if she can share it with the NHS and ministers! I just feel so sorry for people who are far more poorly than I am having to be subjected to that slog X
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I can’t tell you how reassuring I have found this thread.
I did not expect to have men at my CT scan set up for radiotherapy (2 men 1 woman).
I found the experience terrifying- I felt vulnerable and humiliated and struggled to make sense of it afterwards. I thought it was my issue that I was somehow at fault.
The radiotherapy was with women only at my request and was not a pleasant but was at least a bearable experience.
I did not expect to feel the way I felt and am now having post cancer counselling to help me make sense of what happened.
There needs to be a consideration of how being naked may make us feel especially in front of male medical staff.
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I wore a little cami top, thin straps, with a cardigan over for my first session. Radiotherapist said i could leave the cami on and just take the straps off on the table. Still had everything hanging out but it did make me feel less exposed. Just a psychological thing probably but might help.
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