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Planning and Preparation:

     Every conventional form of cancer treatment is aggressive and causes damage to the body. The amount of damage and the degree of recovery achieved is influenced by many factors. The goal is to destroy the cancer with minimal associated injury and return the patient to otherwise good health. This can only be achieved through meticulous preparation before treatment, and monitoring both during and afterwards.

     The first step of my planning process was a counselling session to explain exactly what would happen to me over the next few months, and it soon became very clear that I was at the start of a difficult journey. A chain of events was about to be initiated which I believed would destroy the predator inside me and give back the years of life I had assumed would be lost. Several different tasks had to be completed before the main treatment could begin.

      Dental surgery after radiotherapy can be problematical so it is essential to ensure that  patients' oral health is as good as possible beforehand. Although generally in good shape, it was recommended that my bottom wisdom teeth be removed as a precautionary measure. Fortunately both teeth came out intact without much drama and the wounds healed quickly.

      Cancer cells burn much more energy than healthy cells which usually leads to a weight loss in their host. I had lost over ten kilos in the six months prior to diagnosis. It is important to maintain a healthy body weight during treatment and recovery, so a dietician was assigned to me as part of the care team. My weight was continually monitored and my diet adjusted to ensure I had the necessary reserves to achieve maximum benefit from the forthcoming therapy. I was also tested for anaemia which, if present, renders the therapy less effective and needs immediate attention. Fortunately, the test was negative.