Radiation Day 2: Apparently I Need to Relearn How Mornings Work

Radiation Day 2: Apparently, I Need to Relearn How Mornings Work

🌼 Date: Friday, April 10, 2026

⚡ Energy: Sleepy but Functional

❤️ Status: Radiation Day 2 Complete

🙂 Outlook: Getting the Hang of This

After not setting an alarm for quite a while now, having one go off at 6:30 AM is going to take some getting used to.

Actually… I woke up before the alarm.

Geesh.

Whose bright idea was it to schedule my appointments for 8:00 in the morning anyway?

Oh wait… that was probably me.

And in my half-asleep, barely functioning state this morning, I managed to completely forget one very important part of the routine:

Lotion.

So after I was already dressed, I had to undress, lotion, and get dressed all over again.

Clearly this new routine is going to take a little practice.

The good news is that today the nurses managed to get me lined up correctly on the table on the first try. The sticker with the crosshairs on my side did its job, and I was only on the table for about 25 minutes today instead of 45 minutes like yesterday.

That alone felt like a huge victory.

I’m also starting to understand the check-in process a little better now.

Apparently all I have to do is say good morning to the receptionist and she buzzes me through the door to the back treatment area.

Casey, however, has to stay out front in the main waiting room.

😒

Once I’m buzzed in, I walk back to an area with private dressing rooms, lockers, several bathrooms, and a patient waiting room.

During my tour yesterday, the nurse explained that patients wear two gowns during treatment.

One that opens in the back…
And another on top like a robe for warmth and privacy.

I actually thought that was really nice. They seem much more concerned about patient comfort than they are about dirtying twice as many gowns a day.

But here’s the real challenge.

When I opened the cupboard to grab my gowns, I discovered there are multiple different gown prints.

Which means…

Anyone who knows me knows exactly what happened next.

Yes.

I absolutely had to find two that matched.

My OCD would never allow me to wear two different patterns.

Once I’m changed and my clothes are locked in a locker, I head to the patient waiting room.

And let me tell you — that place is so peaceful it’s almost dangerous.

They have soft calming music playing, and the big screen TV alternates between beautiful scenery from around the world and videos of animals in their natural habitats.

There’s also a table set up with puzzles and a huge fish tank filled with colorful fish and plants.

The whole room is basically designed to put you into a full Zen state.

Honestly, it’s hard to stay awake in there.

The nurse told me yesterday that there are cameras in that room so they know when patients are ready and waiting.

That’s actually really helpful for me, because our drive there takes 45–60 minutes depending on traffic, and I usually drink my protein smoothie on the way.

Which means by the time I arrive, I almost always need to use the restroom.

Also — and this might be a little TMI — I seem to get the nervous sh!ts when I get there.

So it’s nice to know they won’t be calling my name the second I walk through the door.

It reminds me of the old restaurant trick.

You know when your food is taking forever?

You send someone to the bathroom…

…and magically the food arrives.

Every single time.

💗 Tina –
One Badass Day at a Time