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 there,

    Many thanks Emma & Hazel for positive comments.

    Well my first week is over and touch wood - so far so good.

    In a routine now and all my appoitments are 9.00am which I prefer.

    I am literally around 8 mins from house to hospital and have a free daily car park ticket and park right outside dept.
    Have been taken on time and Wed appt was taken at 8.58 and back in car 9.15!

    Very slick operation and staff are brilliant.
    Made a large batch of home made tablet for the staff Thursday which they appreciated and seen advanced nurse practioner who advised of potential side effects to come.
    I'm sure they will but will deal with them as treatment goes on.

     

    So week 1 has been absolutely fine with no real side effects and apart from little more tired, I just have a power napo and fine again.
    Will update end week 2 and hope more of the same.

    Best wishes to all

    kind regards
    ian

  • Hi there,

    Well week 2 is now over and again so far so good.

    Little more tired and would say started to notice more mucas but that apart I have not really felt any discomfort or noticable side effects.

    Aware goinf into week 3 next and potentially when more sied effects will kick in but will have to deal with as and when they arise.
    Will post another weekly update next week , good and bad and hope helps someone in similar circumstances.
    Happy to answer any questions based on my own personal journey.

    Staff in radiotherpay are wonderful and consider it a blessing we have the wonderful NHS.
    Not always right but by and large wonderful system and people and when you consider the cost of treatments we do not have to worry about the cost or health insurance etc over and above the diagnosis.

    Kind regards to all
    ian

  • Hi 

    Let him eat what he wants for now plenty of time to calorie count later lol. Yes I do know if people who have  been h p v -   A lady in my small Yorkshire village ,small world she contacted me unknown to where I lived she said a nurse and was treated at my hospital with same  oncologist and same Macmillan nurse. She has her scan late June 16 weeks or so after treatment finished she was all doom and gloom but rang me with tears streaming down her Face she was  given the same result as me they don’t use the words all clear. They say the scan has shown no,positive uptake of the f dg tracer or similar which means at that moment in time I was cancer free .You only get the magic all,clear after 5 years , but once you get to 2 years post treatment the chance of any reoccurrence is extremely low. So carry in planning the hard bits done and recovery sounds like it’s going well for him. 

    Hope this helps Hazel x

    ps good luck with burgers ni way can I eat them yet ! But has I always say we are all different I can do chocolate. Plus I never lost my taste buds. If yiu haven’t seen  I have a blog with links to other sites www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com   

  • hi I partner has throat cancer he finished radiotherapy on April 10th , he has really suffered he has lost 4 half stone and been in constant pain , his pain is from his ear up to his head , has your husband has this pain ? They have given him a mri last week ,  I’m hoping he is all clear but he has got another ulcer come up too , his was hpv negative, I’ve bedn reading all these posts but don’t know how to put one myself ‍♀️ Hope your partner has a full recovery xxx

  • Hi Zoe this is Hazel well done on partners gettung all clear. Has he mentioned pain to his consultant or Macmillan nurse ? Did he x

    have chemo ? It could be tinnitus or lympodema related ?

    Id you want to start a  new thread  top left of this my page under post to forum you put title in the sub heading probably best living with cancer hooe this helps 

    Hazel x

  • he hasn’t got the all clear yet , sorry I’m hoping he does , we need to wait up to 14 days for results, we have mentioned it , they said it’s not normal but didn’t give us much to go on , they also can’t dp a biopsy yet on his new ulcer because he is still sore, I’m worried about it and this is going to be a log 14 days , I have put a post on living with cancer and spoke to one person , I read your blog , when could you eat normally without throat pain ? Xxx thank you for replying xxx no chemo just radiotherapy xxx

  • Hi Zoe. It’s a hard one to answer I was still on painkillers up,to 4 month post treatment  my oncologist and me I decided the clue was in the name pain killer so devised  a phased withdrawal I never really had pain I had difficulty eating things but that’s to  be expecged the amount of radiation and the sensitivity of our mouths and throats mean it’s in early if the most brutal cancer treatments but with excellent prognosis .Even now I can struggle eating something s in early day the next day it’s all ok this isn’t a common theme .Am sure all will be ok it really is early days on the road to recovery some days 2 steps forward one step back.Roday I had rate rib eye great yesterday home made spaghetti Bol the mince wasn’t difficult not painful but swallow . Ulcers can come by j toducing too many new foods as well I occasionally get a small ulcer if I eat something sharp or citric.His throat will still be swollen also the tendons in his neck do harden which all have a knock on effect 

    good luck for results you e come this far. 

    Hazsl x

  • that’s made me feel more positive  about the ulcer, he is on fennel patches ( same as morphine) and morphine liquid  every day before food , he is a week off 4 months post treatment, he also has trismus , thank you again hazel xxx

  • No,problem just remember phased withdrawal baby steps again when time is right for  him to come off them I did it on the liquid oramorph 1 mil at a time. I now use iglu from boot sessions or any chemist for any ulcers I get it’s sticky but clears them up. I have a friend whose 12 month and she regularly gets ulcers can take weeks for them to go. May e try a few days on the ensures if yiu had them and introduce food gradually again 

    Just a thought Hazel x

  • Hi Zoe,

     

    I agree with Hazel, it could be after-effect of the chemo?

    Sorry to hear he is in such pain.

    My partner has tinnitus from the chemo and jaw pain from radiotherapy/surgery, which is no picnic either. 

     

    Let us know how the results go. 

     

    L

  • Hi Karen, 

    I started on morphine by mid second week of RT, which I gather is quite early, by start of week 3, I was on the Fentalyn patches, which were gradually increased on strength and topped up with Oramorph as needed. I drove  to hospital appointments every day, apart from a few, especially in the last week.  Consultant said that it was fine to drive but I wouldn't take any top up morphine until I got back home. Take the pain meds... even with the pain meds I couldn't eat but at least I could sip the protein drinks and water, and cooled tea.  I found putting ice into the water really helped, both with soothing the throat and getting fluids in.  I used to get the big ice cubes used for cocktails because they took longer to melt. 
     

    from how you are feeling, it sounds like I felt. Just focus on getting to your next session. That's the only way I managed to get through. I didn't care about anything else.  One step at a time and you will find the strength somehow. ️
     

    I shall check back every few days to see how you are getting on xx

  • Hiya, just briefly because it's dinner time and I have already added some posts.  My oral cancer wasn't HPV.  I am currently in remission. Finished treatment May 2019.

     

    Hazel is spot on, I wouldn't believe any consultant worth his salt would say that you are cancer free, because not even PET scans can be 100% fool proof (although it's pretty accurate). 

     

    I wish you Both all the best. 
    xx

Reply
  • Hiya, just briefly because it's dinner time and I have already added some posts.  My oral cancer wasn't HPV.  I am currently in remission. Finished treatment May 2019.

     

    Hazel is spot on, I wouldn't believe any consultant worth his salt would say that you are cancer free, because not even PET scans can be 100% fool proof (although it's pretty accurate). 

     

    I wish you Both all the best. 
    xx

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