Radiotherapy for Throat Cancer

Hello all,

I have posted my little story on introduce yourself and basically I have been diagnosed with Stage 1 Throat cancer.

The prognosis is hopeful and I remain cheerful and positive. Its taken a while for the actual treatment to start so glad to get on with it at last.

I started my first day of radiotherpy today and have 29 more treatments to go over 6 week period.
I have made a little computer programme that logs my side effects and summarises episodes of each heading and I plan on keeping a daily log of how things went/ how I feel ( good and bad ) and map out my journey. I find it therapuetic.

I will share periodically in the hope that even if it helps one person as well as myself  it will be worthwhile.

So day 1 was fine and I dont really feel any difference or notice anything.
One small point is that the mask made was slightly harder than when it was first made as it has set little harder over the weeks and was a little more moveable on the day made.
Took about 10 mins for actual radiotherpay treatment itself.
Drove home fine.

Meet with advanced practioner nurse every Thurs to discuss progress.
Aware might be a little different along the way but all good after day 1.

 

kind regards

Ian

 

Parents
  • Hi Ian

    my husband has larynx cancer an just finished 6 weeks radiotherapy on fri it’s been long six weeks an he has done really well as when he first started they told us the downs I wrote him off week two but he still got his voice just about an kept his weight keep on top of your pain his neck is really sore now and got sore throat but they said next two weeks will be tough good luck with your treatment

     

    mansy steve

  • hi mandy just git to hang on to things willgetbbetter I am 10 weeks post radio,eatingbstill difficukybthank god for high calories drinks but little by little am eating and regaining strength 

    I have written a blog if yiu want to read the ups  and down s feel free to ask any questions between us we all help each other

    www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com

     

    hazel 

     

  • hi again.

    lol...day out and maybe wishful thinking..

    I have 2 more treatments to go and finish on Friday lol

    kind regards
    ian

  • Hi *** was convinced while in bath it was Thursday n. Use message u. Oops oh well thoughts are there !, gives u a day to think about keeping the mask !,,

    hazel

  • Hi Hazel,

    Hope you have found your lost day! lol

    Feeling bit better today after cpl days feeling bit washed out and after meeting with nurse today , was told to make sure I have at least 2 ensure drinks a day as struggling with taking anything and lost few pounds this week.

    But only one more treatment to go tomorrow - who and hooo....and looking forward to at least this part finishing and then buidling up strengtth as weeks go on.

    Back on nebuliser and I think I should have use more often as it maybe helps more than I thought with the mucas.

    Still trying to have positive head, managed quite a bit of work today and onwards and upwards from tomorrow

    kind regards

    Ian

     

  • Hi Ian

    made use of my lost day by dragging myself n hubby to cortonwood and xmas shopping a task that needed doing !

    good luck for tomorrow ,just a word of warning don’t try and do too much please I know 3/4 people who in first week after treatment overdid it and ended up in hospital .! Dehydration and lack of food .

    at one point. Just remember it took 6 week 5 times a week to get the radiation into yiu it takes at least 3 times as long to get it out if your system .if u touch my neck I still feel heat from it 

     I was on 5  Ensure and 2 fresubin I still take 2 30 min power naps in day one after tablets at lunch and one at tea time. 

    Re nebuliser I made it part if my routine for a good few weeks including middle of night It’s was wake up rinse take tablets try n get some Ensure down me even i night then nebulise then clean teeth put lip balm on biotene  gel on gums n teeth then bed .

    the biotene gel is good for maintaining moisture u can try and get it prescribed or get your dentist failing that boots chemist. Biotene also do a mouthwash I have ut but too strong for me still 

    good new today I am sat eating a tin if plum tomatoes admitting slowly but it’s a vegetable !!!!!! Up to now plain boiled beetroot and soft carrots if I am lucky . I miss fruit n veg.

    oh well the tomatoes have defeated me managed 3/4 tablespoons its a start  

    did I say I had a radiation burn the entire length of my tongue the oncologist had to catch the edge if tongue to ensure he had enough margins he apologised for nit telling me at the time but said it had to be done hence why I am having problem so still but looking today it’s now reduced to maybe 3 cm .

    once again slowly does it think tortoise and hare m in this case we are defiantly the  tortoises.dont iver do work either 

    thinking if yiu living in table for last time hearing the click of the mask being undone is quite emotional and at our hospital we get a bell to ring in reception I said all along I wasn’t doing it .but in the end I didn’t and hearing the clapping as getting then  congratulations made it worth while 

    best wishes

    Hazel look forward to reading uodates keep in touch 

  • That last radiotherapy session lives with you forever I reckon,remember it like it happened this morning even though the last 6 months have been a bit of a blur."Would you like to keep your mask John"? No, ******* burn it,I'm sick of the sight of it! Then ringing the bell after, not wanting too but being egged on by wife and daughter,and punching the air felt very cathartic somehow.A wonderful feeling closing one chapter.

  • Hi John 

    wel put ! Glad I kept mask though as when u shown it to people the responses i get  are incredible ,like I couldn’t have done it  it so I reply no choice it’s that or die. Plus at Halloween looks good with lights in it !!

    have a good weekend

    Hazel

  • Hi

    My husband has been diagnosed with cancer in the tonsil and right lymph gland and was told it was curable but it has now been 2 months and still no sign of having the radiotherapy or chemo as they are now check his chest. He is very anxious as they said it is a fast growing cancer and feels it needs to be sorted out as soon as possible.  Would like to know how long you generally have to wait before treatment starts as its now 2 months and the hospital are not going to review him until 12th December (although they did say after Christmas but my husband objected) and he hasnt had the mask fitted yet either.  

    Lynn

  • Hi Lyn

    sorry your hubby has joined this exclusive little club but welcome and you’ve come to right place don’t worry easy to say nit to do. The n h s do have protocol to follow Ifrom diagnosis they should start treatment within 63 days I was exactlyb63 days looks like your trust ar e over running . My  oncologist says weeks don’t make that much difference as ince treatment starts ut is aggressive but like yiu say they do aim for cure .also look at ut this way if they were major concerned they would have him started sooner rather than the allocated waiting time  hopefully.

    i am 12 weeks since my last radiotherapy session and from diagnosis day well even before I have kept a blog itbgoes into detail .

    www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com also a guy called Gary who is nearly 4 years into remission has one which helped me as well

    www.gammaraygary.wordpress.com

    i go into detail about the mask it literally takes 15 mins and tell your hubby don’t worry it’s painless . Let me know if yiu look at the blog please plus any thing else you want to know we are here for each other .looking back it’s tough treatment but a positive attitude is the biggest thing you can have along with a supportive family .re the chest x Ray it is normal I had chest x Ray plus pet scan they are checking thatbnothing has spread .

     

    Regards and take care

    Hazel

  • Hi Lyn

    As Hazel says welcome to our small but supportive group of both patients and their carers. My husband was diagnosed with tonsil cancer and lymph node metastasis in December 2015 - in fact on the 8th its burnt into my brain and he started active treament on the 8 th Feb 2016 so exactly 2 months later. The Oncology team need all of the scans etc to be anle to make a decision re what treatment is appropriate. There are then other preperations such as a dental review - do any teeth need to be removed- will he need a PEG feeding tube prior to starting- will he need a PICC line for chemo delivery - so it does take time. Maybe contact the Oncologist secretary and ask to speak to the Oncologist and vooce your concerns or do you have a specialist Macmillan nurse you can talk to.

    Good luck and ask any questions you might have and we’ll try to help.

    good luck and best wishes

    xxxxx

  • Hi Lynn,

    Am sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis and understand the anxiety.

    I started having symtpms in Jan and to cut long story short and in bewteen wrong diagnosis/meds and treatment it took me until August until properly diagnosed and again told curable. Was told not to worry as I raised the same concerns over treatment wait, but had to get teeth removal first,recovery period then mask fitted, then appointments sorted.

    I literally just finished my 6 weeks radiotherpy this morning and although its seems a long time, I was told the extra fews weeks/months would not really make any difference to treatment plan.

    I do understand though , that you both want to get treatment started and hopefull you can get your dates as early as possible after xmas in a few weeks time

    i wish you both well.

    kind regards

    ian

Reply
  • Hi Lynn,

    Am sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis and understand the anxiety.

    I started having symtpms in Jan and to cut long story short and in bewteen wrong diagnosis/meds and treatment it took me until August until properly diagnosed and again told curable. Was told not to worry as I raised the same concerns over treatment wait, but had to get teeth removal first,recovery period then mask fitted, then appointments sorted.

    I literally just finished my 6 weeks radiotherpy this morning and although its seems a long time, I was told the extra fews weeks/months would not really make any difference to treatment plan.

    I do understand though , that you both want to get treatment started and hopefull you can get your dates as early as possible after xmas in a few weeks time

    i wish you both well.

    kind regards

    ian

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