Piece of meat

I remember feeling very vulnerable lying there being measured and moved here n there , I actually felt a bit upset when Igot home.  But after 15 sessions it all became normal. But yes I felt the same , I often only had males too, but they were all lovely, females and males alike. Good luck with it you'll probably feel a bit strange once it's all over but then it onwards to whatever comes next for you x

Hello Why,  Oh yes I remember very well how I was all exposed from the waist up.  There was only a few men and gals around but it is a strange feeling as most places in the hospital setting maintain your dignity and privacy.  
I adjusted pretty quickly and after a while I was ok as nobody was unprofessional so it was ok.  Not shy anymore after all that exposure.  Barbara 

I felt exactly the same and it didn’t get better for me and I had a complete meltdown and refused further treatment.  The hospital then organised for me to have an all female team.  You are entitled to ask for this as I’ve since found out.  I think it was the varying male faces that upset me the most.  I think if I’d have had the same fella I would have been ok.  

I was upset because it made me feel vulnerable when I was needing confidence.   I didn't care that they were men tbh and they were all grand but I just lay there feeling rather sad.   

I know it’s all rather horrid but I did find having a blanket put over the bottom half of my my body strangely comforting.  If you let them know how you are feeling the staff will do every thing they can to make you feel more comfortable.  That’s my experience anyway.  

It did make me feel vulnerable, and I surprised myself when I felt really uncomfortable with male radiographers; up to that point I'd only seen one man for my pre-op. assessment having had a female consultant, surgeon and oncologist.  Ask for a female team.

Best wishes

At my first appointment in the oncology department I was asked if I had any objections to having male staff during radiotherapy, (it is within our rights to request an all female team), I had no preference. I had an all female team during the planning appointment and for the RT, however for two of my sessions there was a male student nurse present but I was told about this before the session began.

It's hard NOT to feel vulnerable and exposed, half naked and lying under a huge noisy machine, feeling all alone because everyone else has vacated the room and left you to it!

I much prefer having middle aged or older females as nurses, doctors or whatever when it involves things like that. 

main thing, FEMALE. 

I’m so happy to read we are entitled to that. Correctly so. 

So sorry that you were made to feel like that. I had my CT planning yesterday and the radiologists couldn't have been more considerate - I was given a gown and they kept pulling it over where they could and covering both breasts with paper in between any work they were actually doing. Obviously lessons to be learnt at your hospital. Plus they were all women, but only a team of three and I didn't meet the one behind the screen. The CT Planning was at a specialist Cancer Centre (my experience with surgery at the general hospital was not so good - it felt there like I was on a conveyer belt, passed from one member of staff to another for the pre-ops/surgery/ward processes - not seeing the same face twice in the same day.) These things do matter. 

This was one thing that was never mentioned to me before my radiotherapy.  It was as if you had to accept it.  I even spoke to a breast care nurse who was really shitty with me for asking for female only clinicians.  She made me cry.