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.

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

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

Thanks Hazel & thats great news you got a good report!  Congratulations- I can't wait for days like that. You're right on my husband will be impatient with the 'recoevry phase'-he will for sure! He already saying-after a week I'll be ok-I keep telling him it will take longer-maybe it's just his way of coping, but i will keep telling him the truth as gently as I can. It's so nice to read your positive threads & to reassure us that you do get over this-so a big thank you from me for that.Have a lovely weekend.

Last week for us ....my hubby has a little post it pad he started at the beginning of treatment , 1st piece of paper number 35, then 34,33 so on-each rad he rips the numbered piece of paper (often with a vengence!) gets our daughters to do it sometimes-as a little help to manage this long journey-down to no.5 now!

Dave-Skiathos is beautiful-you will love it-visit Kolios beach-a few little nice surprizes there xx

Thanks other half we are Skiathos veterans this will be our 7th visit and Greece all over probably 35 + times, love it :)

Thanks other half we are Skiathos veterans this will be our 7th visit and Greece all over probably 35 + times, love it :)

Oscar 2020- Wow 35 times! Thought we'd been alot! We love Greece too-esoecially the quieter islands- we were booked to Paxos in June-had to postpone until mid Sept but still going so happy with that.

I'm not surprized you are returning to Skiathos-it is 1 of my favorite islands- please let me know how it was as I love the place!! Enjoy xx

Otherhalf last year we went Island hopping we did Naxos, Paros anti Paros and Santorini, it was in the few days of that holiday that I started with the symptoms, spots of blood in my mouth.

Those Islands are stunning and I can recommend them all, Skiathos has everything and I can see why you love it so much.

Dave