Hi Silver

You are not alone as you say and we are all happy to help in anyway we can.

Each different, but I found keeping and sharing my blog quite therapeutic and I know its helped so many people so if you feel up for it, I would certainly encourage you to record your experiences, warts and all.

Also good to look back on once you reach the light at the end of the tunnel and see how far you have come.

Best wishes and let us know if we can help any further

Onwards & Upwards
Ian

For this period think about eating as medicine instead of food, the radiotherapy will alter how you taste and make practically everything taste weird. I got through by putting a swimmers clip on my nose so I couldn't taste at all, it's a difficult period but you have to look at the big picture. My taste is back to normal now just over 12 months after treatment. Good luck and keep your chin up.

Dave

Hi to the newcomers welcome to the club that none of us wanted to join ,but nevertheless less we did and git through the treatment and are living our lives to the full.

re your acid reflux see your tezmnthey May be abl3 to uo your dosage no one should suffer any more than necessary,the treatment is bas enough .

i am Hazel by the way ( the mouthy ine if yiu haven’t already guessed ) but  now I am 17 month post treatment for tonsil cancer with several affected lymph nodes I too have a blog if yiu haven’t read it www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com. where there’s lot of tips, justbremember e are all different  yiu May experience some of my symptoms and others yiu May get lucky and not The salty taste is usual unfortunately along with metallic taste , can only endorse what Ian says water water and more watee , use your peg I feel you need to plus if the pain gets too bad get pain meds as soon as you feel yiu need them , there’s no prizes for sitting and suffering .

any questions just ask and in each if us will always get back to you.

Hazel x

Hi there Newbies and welcome . Thought Id just pop on and say hi and offer any support I can though Hazel , Dave and Ian have covered all the bases with their fantastic blogs and words of wisdom. I will add that my hubby was diagnosed with stage 3 tonsil cancer in December 2015 and here we are in 2020 getting closer to the magic 5 years in remission and cancer free. 
Yes the treatment is truly gruelling for both the person with the cancer and their loved ones - Paul had 5 cycles if cistplatin chemo and 30 radiotherapy sessions , tonsillectomy and a neck dissection- but for us to be at this point now ut was really worth it. 
The side effects are difficult to manage and some are ever present but others disipate and are just a memory.

Hang in there guys - use the lovely people on here for support and take each hour as it comes. Theres no prize for suffering the most - take the pain relief if you need it - ask for something stronger if it isnt helping and keep the calories going in - use that feeding tube as much and often as you need it.

Sending you best wishes and Im here to answer any questions if I can. 
Emma - aka Newly married 

Hi Ian,

I have just read your detailed journey of throat cancer from diagnosis to recovery and beyond. My story is similar, I was diagnosed initially with tonsillitis in September 2019, however a tonsil biopsy revealed it was cancer which had spread to my lymph node in my neck.

I have recently finished 3 sessions of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiotherapy and have found the last 5 months very tough.

One tends to feel isolated, alone, lonely, etc., when being diagnosed and having treatment, but your writings and tips have given me encouragement and made me feel normal.

I will definitely drink more water.

All the best

John

Hello John

interesting to hear about your treatment thank you - 15 days of radiotherapy seems like a ‘weaker’ dose than most. Can you let us know your tumour status eg mine was T1/2 N0 M0 at 2cm, no nodes or mets. I had the option of surgery alone or radiotherapy and took the former. It avoids some of the radiotherapy pitfalls but is not without its own downsides and risks.

I take quite a back seat on here but have read this thread in its entirety and found it my go to for every situation I encountered and the contributions of its leading man and woman invaluable; sharing what we can to help others as well as the therapeutic nature for ourselves. 

I am now almost one year post disgnosis. I get a cancer ‘recurrence’ every few weeks in my mind and it has been an anxious time as healing and recovery changes the course of ‘normal’. How are you feeling? I would love to think shorter radiotherapy will be the way forward. Share some more please?

love to everyone on here. 

Jane x

Hi Jane 

Good to hear from  you ,glad our ramblings have helped you along the way. I am 18 month post radiotherapy now and living life ,off to Spain again shorlto ride our bikes and feel a bit of sun in our backs. All ok with me saliva still a bit of an issue but nighttime I regularly get 8  hours sleep thanks to xyimelts,git local ent consultant this afternoon.To be honest I must be lucky as I never think about reoccurrence but hey we are all different as this thread shows. 

Good luck to everyone our there no matter where you are in treatment.

keep in touch 

Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com for latest updates to blog.

Hi to John and Jane,

I'm pleased that both the thread and blogs have helped indeed you have used them to give you encoragement and some normality. Agree it can be a lonely place going through threatment and I understand the feeling of isolation during recovery as often found it easier to relate to others who had actually been through the experience and journey.

And yup, my mantra of water is one I'm a great believer in and one of the best medicines and definately helps.

John, now you have posted, please keep in touch and message away anytime you like as there is always help or someone to listen here and many who have been through what you are experiencing.

Jane, I also note your comments around shorter radiotherapy and I guess I would suggest we have come such a long way in technology and how treatment now is quiet scientific and can pinpoint more accuratly treatment areas. My understanding is there is a reason why treatment is planned over a period and the main one being is to let healthy cells recover in between.

I always remember being told by my consultant that our treament/recovery is one of the worst for cancer but also the one treatment that has the highest success and cure rate and I took a lot of comfort from that.
It's no walk in the park I agree but, touch wood, I feel fine now and no real lingering issues and for that I'm really thankful for,

Wishing all the best no matter where you are on this journey and rememeber we are only a message anyway to help anyway we can.

Kind regards

Ian

Hello Amber and the Support Team

Im sure thsts a huge shock and I am so sorry you are in this position. Stage 1 meaning localised presumably? What tests have you had (biopsy/scans etc), where is the site of your primary tumour and when do you hear about your options for treatment? This forum will help prepare you mentally and physically and accompany you all the way to HIGHLY LIKELY cure - most throat cancers are very responsive to treatment.

I did not have radiotherapy, but extensive surgery to my neck and throat internals. It was an option I decided to take as was given the choice. For yourself and anyone else on here who is offered either modality I am happy to fill you in on my experience. For T1/2 N0 M0 I was told the outcome stats between surgery and (chemo)radiotherapy were identicle but the treatments effect you differently and are different to endure. Just this week got the resluts of my first post treatement scan and there is 'no evidence of disease' or in other words (letters), NED. We are living proof of a light at the end of the MRI tunnel.

I can only emphasise that we all want just to be well enough to work.... thats a happy place and means life is happening positively. However it is inevitable you will need time off physically however mentally strong you may feel youd like to be. Eating, drinking and resting can take a full day by themselves on occasion. Talking may be tricky too. 

Kepp us posted please.

Love to you

Jane x