Well the brachytherapy is over. Thank the stars. It was not pleasant, I assure you. A nasal gastric tube was inserted into my stomach via my nose (thus the term nasal gastric) without the benefit of any anaesthetic local or otherwise. The worst bit was the insertion and the immediate aftermath which involved me throwing up. And that was quite an achievement as I had been fasting since midnight. After that, a series of x-rays to make sure the tube was in place correctly. It wasn't and had to be adjusted. Then the therapy.
After five hours of waiting around and preparation, the therapy itself lasted all of five minutes, or the duration of I Don't Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats. (That's what was on the radio at the time). A radioactive cobalt source was dropped down the tube and my tumour was irradiated from the inside.
This is not without risks. The doctor explained to me that there was a risk that the radiation could burn a hole in my oesophagus, necessitating hospital admission. Fortunately, that does not appear to have happened and I'm at home now.
I need a nap.
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