Hi Jo/Hazel,

Sorry I've not posted for a while but chemo kicked my *** again and I've been laid up for the last few days. I Had my last dose on the 25th and its taking me longer to get over than the first dose, I guess thats because of the radio cumulative effect as well. I was over the sickness after about 3 days and was only really suffering from numb fingers and toes. About 2 days ago I started producing huge amounts of mucus which I couldn't hack up so ended up going in to my stomach....anyways it triggered stomach cramps and nausea. Yesterday was spent chucking up and I could keep nothing down, the smell of any food makes me sick. I woke up this morning feeling slightly better and decided to have a small PEG feed and take some sickenss meds.....the food went in ok but as soon as I swallowed the meds I threw it all up :angry:.

I will try another feed/meds soon and see if I can keep it down, if not I will talk to the doctors and see what they suggest.

I have a nebuliser on order which arrives today so hopefully that will help with the mucus.

I have 5 radios left including today but have to take a sick bucket with me on the 2 1/2 journey.

Thank god I am not in much pain cos I'm not sure I could handle that and the sickness.

Vomitting makes my throat feel like someone has taken a red hot poker too it but the more I try to hold it down the worse it is. I'm pegging loads of water to see if it will settle.

Jo I hope you are fairing better than me? you must be finished your radio now?

Hazel I hope you are enjoying yourself for both of us.

I've had enough of this now...was at my lowest the last few days

Al

xx

Hi Al sadly you may feel  worse before you start to feel better. I always remeber my oncologist s first words Hello I am looking to cure you m but firstly I apologise I will take you and your body lower than it's ever been before. I know you aren't feeling poorly niw but you will do. He was right in both he cured me and I was rougher than I had ever been. It's a a cumulative effect every treatment hangs around in yiur body. I liken it to being poisoned and burnt from the inside out. Haven't heard from Joneither reckon she's head down and getting on with it. I'm in Scotland this week we saw Top Gun last night absolutely brilliant. Tom Cruise at his best .Todaybwere off to Fort Augustus  One life live it is our motto make it yours. Our brush with cance shows we aren't infallible .Instiol have odd days eating issues last night we got takeaway I had. Fish and chips good dense Jihn and grandson had missed kebabs not a chance. Hey ho I'm alive so had a banana. 
Hang on in if you've another chemo to have talk it over with oncologist yhreh May cancel it. Lhugs Hazel. 

Hi Hazel,

Wise words as always and thank you for your support. I will definitely be living life to the full after this and am looking frward to getting away for my daughter's 30th in August and later in October we have 2 weeks planned for Florida....I can't wait!.....there is no way on earth I am missing either of those holidays.

Hope you had a great weekend and the weather held out for you?

I reached an all time low last Wednesday when I was throwing up in the hospital car park but after being put on the drip and taking some more anti sickness meds I have felt much better....in fact I was able to have a cup of soup yesterday and some pasta (all be it both tasted of salt and nothing else!).

I was well enough to go to the village Jubilee celebration yesterday too and also managed to get 10,000 steps in walking the dog. I have 2 sessions of Radio left which seem to be concentrating on my lymph node now. I am able to swallow pretty much pain free and really feel like I have turned a corner. Mouth still alternates between bone dry and gloopy but hey ho....I'm sure that will get better.

I have bags full of cakes for all the staff at the hospital who have been fantastic and I'm happy to say I hope I will never see them again! :laugh:.

Jo I hope you are on the mend?

Al

xx

Hi Al. Yes we had a fab week away weather improved and by Friday was positively balmy. En way home stopped off for lunch with a guy who went through the same treatment as me in 2020 he lives in Australia over visiting family. Then stopped again for coffee with another guy just outside Edinburgh. Home late last night now raining. Yes having things to aim for helps. Your scan will be 3-4 months afterwards. Don't forget you must declare cancer to travel insurers. I use staysure for our annual policy. Heads down for next 2 sessions and if you have a bell ring it loud. Remember treatment continues to work for next few weeks you may feel worse before you turn a corner. 
Hazel x

yes Jo hope you're ok xx

Hi Jo and Al, just a quick line to let you know I'm thinking of you and sending huge hugs and lots of Love ️ hugs to everyone else too xxx

Hi how are you coping ? Reckon yiure in road to recovery now any help just shout 

Hazel x

Hi Hazel/Jo!,

Sorry not posted in a while but yes Hazel I have been focusing on recovery. Just over 3 weeks now since my treatment finished and it hasn't been plain sailing. I thought I was doing quite well the first weeka and even managed some soup but then......I caught Covid!......on top of my already sore throat I had the sore throat from hell!.....aches and pains, shivers! you name it I had it.....that knocked me sideways for about a week and a half but thankfully I have come out the other side now. 

The last couple of days I have felt so much better and I am managing to eat 3/4 slices of home made (crusty!) bread each day along with soft boiled eggs!....taste is still pretty awful and I'm still producing lots of saliva (mixed with episodes of bone dry mouth!) but my swallowing is getting much much better and the bread is going down fairly pain free.....I'm so elated and really feel like I have turned a corner now. Energy levels are up but I still have tired patches early evenings. Gradually weaning myself off peg feeding. I am managing to drink flat/fizzy coke too and can take proper gulps rather than sips now!.....I am also off the co codamol now but have to take a couple of paracetamol every now and again. Doctors are very happy with my progress and I'm very hopefull of being able to go away for my daughter's birthday at the end of the month even if I'm not eating and drinking properly (thanks for the Insurance website Hazel)

All in all I'm feeling pretty good and I can even sneeze withouth calling for an ambulance now! :laugh:

Jo how are you getting on?

Hazel are you keeping yourself busy?

p.s think I may have a sneaky half a Guinness this weekend sometime :wink:

Hi Al oh dear glad you've recovered from covid doing better than I was with bread lol. Yes cokes a gis send make sure diet. I'm giid wales a week on Saturday. Then Spain mid September. Go fir the Guinness yiu csn onky try. 
man at allotment wondering where to start one nights rain equals weeds. Lol xx

yes jo how are you ? 
Hazel xx

Hi Jo/Hazel/Sue,

Long time no post, I hope you are all doing well?

Its over 2 months since I finshed my treatment now. The week after I finished I contracted Covid (thank you God) which gave me the sore throat from hell on top of an already sore throat from hell :)....anyway once that had cleared out of my system after a couple of weeks I starting making great progress and within a few weeks I was back to eating pertty much as normal and no longer needed to feed thru my PEG. The doctors at the cancer hospital were so impressed they release me back to my normal hospital a couple of weeks early.

I was overkoyed to be well enough to be able to go to the Canaries for 5 days to celebrate my daughters 30th and despite not being able to taste any food or drink had a fantastic time. However, 10 days after getting back to the UK I found out I had got DVT in my right calf (thank you again God! :()...I am on a 3 month course of blood thinners to clear that up, hopefully before my Florida holiday at the end of October, although I have made up my mind I'm going regardless of DVY or any scan results.

Overall I feel really good and my energy levels are back and I'm pain free, I still suffer from dry mouth most days but hey ho I can live with that. My voice is definitey croakier than before the treatment but again I can handle that.

I hope you are all doing well and will post again once I have had my results.

Al

xx

I am due to have my big scan on next week on the 30th (the day before my birthday) and my stress levels are on the rise thinking about the results.

Hi Al, nice to hear from you and so pleased everything is going in the right direction, sorry to hear about the covid and dvt, I'm sure the blood thinners will do their job and you have your Florida holiday. I've got everything crossed for your scan and will be thinking of you. 
sue x