Good morning everyone. Ive been catching up on the ever mobile topics on this (lengthy) thread. I personally feel it is an excellent thesaurus for throat cancer partly because of the longevity it demonstrates - one often needs that familiarity and time to get as far as the peripheral topics or deeper analysis.

My contribution to the alcohol chatter..... Never a massive drinker but enjoy the sense of occasion a glass of rez/ fizzy or aperol spritz brings. Incidently more of a diet coke one a day fan. All alcohol for me was a no go zone with a raw throat after surgery. Also due to partial removal of soft pallet anything fizzy bubbled down my nose and felt again like being waterboarded just when I got normal swallowing under control. A few times I took a sip of something and held it in my mouth.... like a nut allery sufferer wiping a biscuit with unknown ingredients round their lips to see if they tingle or start to swell, then spat it out just knowing that sending it to the back of my throat would sting.

Eventually I could tolerate one part flat beer to six parts tepid water which I know sounds disgusting but taste was so sensitive it was flavour enough for me and i felt part of any social drinking ritual. This was about six weeks post op. I also learned to open a can of diet coke and blow inton it through a straw until it went flat and became drinkable. The time we waste seeking a new version of our 'normality'! I moved on to very diluted Aperol or Gin and less diluted lager, cider or beer. Wine has only just been the past week or so. Now finally I can drink pretty much everything albeit slower via smaller sips which is not a bad thing. 

Same with food..... last to finish my modest portion of a meal always and nuts, bread, pastry, cake often more effort than reward. I used to positively guzzel so really I feel the throat cancer swapped a tonsil for some better table manners. Crisps for me are good.... too dry and crunchy to sap any absorbancy.... and doritos dipped in homous or sour cream were an introduction back to these. Because I have lost some space occupying throat tissue and swallowing muscle mainly I have to chew well, swallow hard two or three times and often sip water to wash down pockets of food from the cavity at the back of my throat. I only lost one of my lesser salivary glands (there are two major ones at the back of the mouth and two lesser beneath the tongue) but that does still make a difference at the minute (seems thay all go into shock).

My eight week follow up at Oxford was monday. Camera down which still feels far more comfortable than having my throat cut so no problem, and a visual inspection. All okay so far and no scans routinely at this stage. I did hear on the news they were attempting to privatise the PET scanning facility last week but also there is apparently a horrendously long queue for it for patients so not sure if this has any bearing. I sort of thought they would take some pictures to use as a benchmark for my new steady state should anything happen in the future. I was told they follow up routinely at 1-3 month intervals and that it was a good sign they chose to put me at three months.

Im mostly scarred over nicely on the inside so no open ulcers. Tightness as that scar tissue contracts is setting in and weakness of my neck muscles (not quite 'new born baby' any more, but Id say three month year old) and shoulder from neck surgery needs work. But my brain is functioning and there is more space for everyday thoughts, not just cancer ones.

Any one had any good options with holiday insurance (Roz you are away ALL the time?!) as hopefully that will be next. In the meantime I shall be returning to work in a week as I like to think the ICU cannot manage without me!

I am forced by being on here to go and see Toy Story 4! FOMO otherwise.....

Love Jane x

A great post Jane, and you answered a question i had. My minor neck surgery to remove 3 nodes was a breeze. Now after radiation i get the stiffness in the mornings right under my jaw. Im rehearsing to hopefully go back to work ( singer) and can really feel it loosen, then next morning very tight. Consultant said scar tissue, i never felt much post surgery guess the radiation fried it up. Lovely.

Hi Jane

This is Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz.

No no don’t give in to Toy Story ive seen 1,2 and 3 with grandson !!!!!! Not worth it oops sorry Ian my best new mate. Lol 

On a serious note as long as you declare the cancer most companies will load the premium and cover you for all the usual,things apart from anything cancer related .Which I think well ok am onky a 3 hour flight away and hubbynwoukd throw me in a plane and daughter pick me up at what ever airport I landed in in the U.K. We  are in the Murcia area of Spain when we go somhave 2 airports to,choose from Murcia and Alicante so if need arose and I though anything wrong with Throat tonsil etc would come straight home. 

We have an annual travel,insurance with a max stay of 90 days for the 2 of us at £250  with B . U. P. A  I found them helpful so can live with thatThus I say one occasion where ringing and speaking to someone’s is needed as trying online you can’t get through what we need to put down so please ring around  .I have rung round for cover to include cancer but are talking if thousands so took,decision that whilst we are still in Europe I have my EH1C card and hoping that Spain after Brexit along with the U.K. keep a reciprocal heath agreement but that’s another story. 

Would I go long haul I have to be honest and say not at the moment I like the security of being a is to get back tomUK

Congratulations in being able to tolerate alchol ,just shows that we are all different even with the same cancer ,Good luck on returning to work am sure the ICU will welcome you back with open arms .one day at a time and take care .Brilliant insight into another persons run in with cancer

onwards and upwards to infinity and beyond go in I paraphrased Toy Story. Lol

Hazel x

Hi Graeme pleased you are thinking about returning to work. I remember your first few postings when you wondered would you ever sing again. Brill news

H x

Thanks, not counting my chickens just preparing a bit x

Hazel

Please accept a virtual wedgie. You know why !!!

ex mate

ian

Dear Buzz

I acept the wedgie so sorry. Lol

you will be telling me next that Iron man really did die  in The last avengers film !!!!! And nit my version in my head that he is alive  and still married to Pepper Potts !

Please don’t unfriend me Woody would never forgive you. 

Anyway off to bed now presume you are still up ,or have you gone to the midnight showing 

still your mate 

Hx

Being prepared is good ,forward thinking 

H x

Congratulations Ian and Hazel on your 1000th post. I’ve not had chance to be here for a while but just been catching up. 

Re alcohol. Mark was definitely a drinker, not excessive but loved a nice red wine and decent single malt. He hasn’t touched a drop since starting treatment. Can’t face it. 

He’s just had his second lot of Cisplatin and reacted very badly to it so ended up being hospitalised for the week. Thankfully he’s home now but really struggling. He’s so low which is so hard to see as he always has a smile and a joke. 

He refused the peg and wanted to stay tube free, he’s done amazing. On Tuesday he eat a sandwich and cake before chemo but hasn’t had anything since. He says everything tastes horrible, like swallowing slugs ( not that he’s ever eaten slugs!) which makes him feel sick and gag just because the taste and sensation is so horrible. 

We’ve been given various build up shakes to try but as yet he won’t although knows he will have to today. 

Does anyone have any advice on making stuff more palatable please? Or suggestions on things to try. 

Cheers

Jo. Xx