Hi Nicola

The scan on my ovary was an ultrasound and the person who did it told me there and then that it was ok.

However, after my first MRI (when they discovered I had tonsil cancer and a brain tumour) they didn't call me back early so I wandered in thinking the result was going to be good! Therefore I don't think you can tell either way. It may be that they've called you back early so you don't worry for too long after all you've been through.

I've got everything crossed for you!

Xx

Dear Friends

Nicola, my heart really goes out to you.  As the others have said, please just try to keep an open mind and keep yourself as busy/occupied as possible without overdoing things!  I remember my imagination working overtime when I was waiting for my scan results back at the start .  Now that my 4 week check-up is on the horizon (Wednesday) I'm starting to get all those niggly "what ifs" floating to the surface.  I am keeping everything very tightly crossed for you and sincerely hope there is no further bad news, as you have already gone through so much and coped with it amazingly well.  Things have settled down for me again, although my latest problem is a continually bunged up nose - neither nebuliser, Olbas inhaler nor steaming bath with menthol crystals is of much help. I don't actually have the Cold, it's just that my nostrils seem constantly blocked and of course it's always worst at night. Most days I wake up with mouth drier than the bottom of a budgie's cage because I've been breathing through my mouth most of the time!

Simon, likewise, please try and stay positive mate and it goes without saying that we are with you all the way and hoping for good news.

Jo - thanks for the hug - sending one right back to you, Nicola, Simon and Debbie.  Very best wishes for your return to work.

Debbie - thanks for your words of encouragement and delighted to hear that you enjoyed your friend's wedding, both eating and dancing the night way.  I intend to do likewise!

Best wishes to you all.

Love Irene x

Nicola, sorry, I just realised you asked me a couple of questions which I forgot to answer.  The split in my tube was in between the two bungs (the threaded one and the purple one) so it was part of the 'Y' connector, which they replaced 'in a oner' as they had done before.  I've no idea what would happen if he tube split further up other than having to replace it completely and neither of us would want that experience!!  The phlegm has been pretty intermittent with me.  Some days it seems non-stop and others not so constant.  I don't want to tempt fate, but apart from the allergy and the recurrent sickness problems, I'm thinking that my 2-3 weeks since end of treatment haven't been quite as horrendous as I had braced myself to expect.  I just hope this nasal congestion goes away soon and I will just try and be more patient re the return to eating as it sounds like most folks have taken longer than I had been expecting.  I x

Hi Nicola,

Just a line to say good luck for later today. We're all thinking of you and we've all got everything crossed.

I've got the dentist today because when checking my latest ulcer at the weekend I spotted a new tooth growing sideways out of my gum under a back wisdom tooth. You couldn't make it up!

Good luck, Nicola - let us know how it goes.

Simon  xx

Jo,

Ever so sorry, I relished I didn't answer your question about what an over granulation of skin is. It's where my skin is trying to heal over the hole in my tummy, where the feeding tube is. Obviously the skin can't heal as there is a tube in its way so this growth of skin closes around the tube, then turns into a horrible big black scab! Not very nice! The scab is so big and solid, it prevents me from spinning my peg and is also very sore! Eventually the scab falls off with the help of some steroid cream but two days later, another one appears. I'm told to keep expecting it to happen until the tube is out which is going to be at least another month or so, so it's not very glamorous but not a lot I can do about it. It's one of the less irritating of all the side effects I've had so I'm not going to complain too much but I'll definitely be glad to see the back of this feeding tube!

I hope all is well with you and you are all prepared for your return to work. Thank you for thinking of me whilst I've been distressed these last few days and sending you a hug too! Xx

Hi Nicola,Great to read your latest post! It's such a pity you had so much worry over the weekend before your appointment. No wonder the flood gates opened at clinic. Like you said, the build up of stress and worry! Bless you!

I'm trying to 'train' myself not to worry about things, but it's going about as well as my lion taming training! (easier said than done!)

Hope you manage to eat some of your mum's casserole . . . Enjoy!

Take care and let us know how your check up goes next week, Hugs to you, Jo xx

Our posts have crossed! Thanks for the info on granulation. I guessed it was something like that. Glad the steroid cream helps!

I've had an annoying sore bit on my surgical wound where one of the 'dissolving' stitches just didn't dissolve! It was poking out of my tummy like a cat's whisker! Very bizaare. Thankfully, nearly 6 months on, it's on the mend!

Hi Nicola,

Phew! That's really good news. It's such a shame that you had to go through all that worry though. These ups and downs do seem to be par for the course don't they? Your news has really cheered me up.

My trip to the dentist was interesting - apparently I've got excess 'cementum' suddenly growing out of the root of a wisdom tooth. It can be caused by trauma apparently. He broke a bit off and gave it to me in a plastic bag in order that I can give it to the oncologist next  week. It looks like a small piece of bone. He says that the oncologist should refer me to the hospital dentist to get the issue dealt with. Strange but true!

Next stop is the bone marrow test on Thursday. Life is one big adventure.

I hope that your meal went well this evening. I've found that anything with tomato in makes my tongue sore - I mention it just in case the same is true for you.

Take care.

Simon xx

Hi Simon,

I hope your biopsy goes well/has gone well today. I googled it to have a read of what it involves, hopefully it sounds worse than it actually is. I read that there are two types of biopsy, aspiration or trephine, which did you have? I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable. I know the biopsy procedure is a small thing compared to all you've already been through but it's still something else to deal with isn't it? I really hope the results are what we are all hoping for, but I'm sure you're going to be anxious over the coming week now. I wish these things didn't take so long!

That was surprising news about your tooth! I read a story on line about a man named Paul who had very similar treatment to us for tongue cancer and it sounds like he had a similar issue with his teeth where some broke away. I would say I will look out for this too but I don't have any teeth left on the "bad" side of my mouth as they were all extracted. Maybe it was a good thing after all! Incase you're interested, if you google "Paul's story tongue cancer" you should easily find it on the oral cancer foundation page. He also talks about some itchy bumps following treatment. His story was one of the first things I read when I first found out about my own tongue cancer.

Thanks for your previous message. It is a shame I had to worry so much and I'm still a little nervous about next weeks appointment, but less anxious than I was. I hope the recovery of today's procedure isn't too bad. Speak soon,

Nicola xx

Hi Nicola,

The bone marrow test wasn't too bad. A bit painful afterwards but no worse than a trip to the dentist. I had both tests done at the same time. They took some samples of bone marrow which they placed on 5 or 6 glass slides and also removed a small a piece of bone. Apparently only some of the tests will be ready for my appointment next Wednesday as the bone sample is slowly dissolved in fluid over a period of time.

Thanks for highlighting 'Pauls Story'. I had stumbled upon that some time ago but it was good to go back a remind myself of his experiences. It is encouraging that he seemed to experience some recovery of his saliva glands. I had forgotten about the itchy bumps he experienced, maybe that's what I have been having. I hope so because they seem less sinister than some of the other possibilities.

Anyway, you and I are playing the waiting game now. My next appointments are next Wednesday for the bone marrow results and then Thursday for my monthly oncologist check up.

I hope that you have a good weekend and please try not to worry about things. I stumbled across a YouTube video that discussed head and neck cancer (search for 'head and neck cancer' on the YouTube site - I can't post the link here) - it highlighted the fact that cure rates are very high and recurrence rates are low.

Take care, Nicola.

Simon xx