Hi

I just wanted to thank everyone involved in this thread, as reading it has been incredibly helpful over the last few weeks.

My husband had a swelling on his neck diagnosed as cancerous at the start of this month (April 2019).  It was a shock: he's never smoked, rarely drinks, cycles regularly, eats sensibly and is in good health - or so we believed.  Since then he's undergone a CT scan and biopsy which have confirmed the tumour as being at the base of his tongue and HPV16+.  He hasn't had his tonsils removed, as the sugeon doing the biopsy/panendoscopy thought they looked OK, but going by the scan the consultant thinks one has been affected, as well as some lymph nodes.  He gets assessed by the dental team tomorrow and has an MRI booked for the end of this month, plus whatever other appointments are yet to be arranged, with chemoradiotherapy due to start in about 4 weeks.

The last couple of weeks have been stressful (to say the least!), but this - and a couple of other similar threads - have been incredibly useful, as have the wonderful blogs by Ian and Hazel.  Having an insight into the treatments and their side effects meant that we felt quite well informed about what lies ahead even before speaking to the hospital consultants, and instead of everything being a blur, we were able to take in what was said and manage to ask some sensible questions.  Without all of you generously sharing your experiences it would have been a very different story.

Because of that, I wanted to let people know how important this thread has been for us - and that all your tips for coping with the treatment etc have been gratefully noted!  It's not a good situation to find ourselves in, but we feel pretty positive that we'll come out the other side in one piece.

I hope everyone who has posted, or who might be reading this, is doing well and continues to do so. 

Thanks again, and best wishes to you all

Have to echo this, prepared me so well, a Godsend.

Great Hazel and another good report card

Onwards & Upwards
Ian

Hi Ian thank yiu onky 2 nd time camera up nose last time was 29 May last year when it was first diagnosed,so quite reassuring in a silly way. Luckily I have perfect nostrils apparantlybso up and down it goes with ease !! Lol

h x

Hi Hazel

perfect nostrils huh....perhaps you are a fire breathing tough yorkshire lass.
Maybe John might have a view lol 

Actually agree with you you re scope. had mine done a well this week as you know and I like scope going down just to have a good check over so makes sense to me.
At least you have not had the agnst like us Liverpool followers or Tottenham fans have had this week.
Ouch lol !

Fab week tho of footie and should be great final.

ian x

Hi Ian you know me too well ! Yep perfect fire breathing dragon sums me up well John would agree well her dare do nothing else. Although likecwe say John and Fiona are immune to the cancer card now it just doesn’t work like it used too. I cooked tea washed up and put shopping away today it’s just not on ! Lol

ps thought I were my mate cutting remarks re football. Lol no am  pleased  for U.K.  as s whole onwards n upwards 

h x from a soggy grey Yorkshire 

hazel

As an aside re footie

jest re footie lol..am not an avid follower but like Liverpool. Im sure Man Utd will be back next season although big job.I wonder if Ole would have got the job if they had waited until end season.
Its a great league and the more that challenge the better the entertaintment

Sorry all for the digress to footie.

Hazel
meant to ask - how is your saliva issues. Are they pretty normal now or still no settled pattern? and can I ask where you are with sleep pattern at your stage.I'm still a bit random with thi fatigue thing. I know might have been different pattern while you were  abroad but would be interested to hear if you have just slipped back into awake all day and a normal nights sleep since back home?
Do you have any days that differ or is your sleep/fatigue perfectly normal.

Oh and yes, lol, I had to make my own tea. It's just awful now.

Ian x

Great news Hazel and to everyone else there’s a lot of positivity on here at the moment, if you look on some of the other chats which I don’t like to really you will see that we although unlucky we were also to an extent lucky to get this type of cancer as it’s so treatable.

Small mercies and all that, 

Dave

Hi Dave. Thank you. Agree totally like my oncologist said to me on day one if he was unlucky to get cancer our version is the one he would want treatment is testing to say the least but outcome is good . Small mercies and all that. 

Enjoy holiday fsctor 50 on neck but otherwise chill n enjoy 

h xc

Hi Ian

lol re football yes agree it’s bern a good season. Woukd like to think Ole woukd hsve kept the job but the fickleness of football nowadays who knows.

Saliva I ferl getting better every day only by small degrees but in night I no longer wake with tongue  sticking to roof of mouth. Bonus. Plus in daytime as long as I have water n my chewing gum around I am fine. Satceating a stick if celery how healthy is that ! Good job u can’t seevthev2 pralines and 2 toffees fir after.   The dribble is still therecas well so that’s pointing in right direction. Consultant said mouth was nice and moist.  Don’t get me wrong it still dries if I eat something it doesn’t like ie apples biscuits. Etc. 

Sleeo last night 9 hours with a loo visit st 0600 so yep dropped straight into it and nope haven’t ridden my bike yet too wet. No tabkets apart from the acid reflux so maybe your sleep will come soon. 

Take care keep in touch hope this helps H x

Ian still have my 20 min catch up nap mid afternoon mist days it is only 20 mins. On boat John was astounded how I lied down shut my eyes dropped off snored who me never !! Then 20 mins later woke up !!

wonderwoman that’s me. Lol 

h xx

Yes the factor 50 will be packed, the skin on my neck is still really soft, no problems with it but it must be delicate? Gran Canaria on Saturday and we’ve just booked flights for Skiathos later in June too, catching up on lost holiday time :)

Dave

Yes the factor 50 will be packed, the skin on my neck is still really soft, no problems with it but it must be delicate? Gran Canaria on Saturday and we’ve just booked flights for Skiathos later in June too, catching up on lost holiday time :)

Dave

Don’t blame you we are doing a cheeky 16 days late June to apartment also. Like u said we lost almost a year last year. My neck is baby soft but factor 50 and s but if false tan mixed with it matched up the bit if colour I got used 30 everywhere else and was fine. 

You and Julie have a brill time 

h x