Hi Laura

and thank you for the encoragemet as well as a thanks to Hazel and all.

I'm glad you have found the blogs/site helpful and there are a few of us in this club at various stages of out treatment and its a great support and great place for tips and helping one another.

Its surpising how little tips can make the differnce and how you wouldnt think of things if not told beforehand.
At least you have the start of your treatment plan and also depending on potential teeth extracting as this will delay it slighly to allow the jaw to settle.

Depending on your circunstances, I always advice to try and get the radiotherpay sessions first thing in the morning (95% mine were 9am) as it makes a big differnce. You get treatment over with and frees up rest day for rest/taking meds and not breaking up day with a mid morning/afternoon appointment plan. Might not be your preference but I would recommend.

Keep us posted, stay postive and good luck and best wishes with plan. We are all hear for you and rooting for you.

Kind regards

ian

Hi Laura

and thank you for the encoragemet as well as a thanks to Hazel and all.

I'm glad you have found the blogs/site helpful and there are a few of us in this club at various stages of out treatment and its a great support and great place for tips and helping one another.

Its surpising how little tips can make the differnce and how you wouldnt think of things if not told beforehand.
At least you have the start of your treatment plan and also depending on potential teeth extracting as this will delay it slighly to allow the jaw to settle.

Depending on your circunstances, I always advice to try and get the radiotherpay sessions first thing in the morning (95% mine were 9am) as it makes a big differnce. You get treatment over with and frees up rest day for rest/taking meds and not breaking up day with a mid morning/afternoon appointment plan. Might not be your preference but I would recommend.

Keep us posted, stay postive and good luck and best wishes with plan. We are all hear for you and rooting for you.

Kind regards

ian

sorry Laura,

just noticed I have repeated myself re recommendation ..sorry lol

I will wind my neck in

kind regards

ian

Almost hafway through my treatmeant and Im having chronic hiccups, I was awake 2.5 hours last night and got hiccups now, apparently Morphine can cause it but the radiologists today seemed surprised and hadnt heard of it before. I dont normally have indegestion problems or hiccups, wondering of anyone else has had this problem? apart from that my throat seems better today the new meds are working well.

Dave 

Hi Dave

Sorry to hear of hiccups and havnt heard of before either and touch wood, not something that I was hit with. Hopefully just a minor very temporary blip and glad to hear your throat seems better and meds working

kind regards

ian

Thanks Ian just tried some Gaviscon and the hiccups stopped emmediatley so Iv got something to stop it at least, Did some googling which I dont like doing regards medical stuff but seems fizzy drinks can cause it and Iv been drinking sparkling water and orange lucozade which have been going down well but could be the cause so i`ll knock them off for now and see what happens.

The inside of my throat and mouth looks shocking but its only stinging and not too painfull at the moment, tomorrows session will mark my half way point.. Im doing regular gargling and will try TCP too.

Dave

Hi Dave

i find gaviscon dual action tablets help in quite a few situations .but nit has hiccup.am reducing my co codomol and today reduced anither tablet and am suffering so will ride it out mid need be up it tomorrow !!!

take care well done on throat u find good days n bad days no rhyme or reason but nearly half way there 

Hazel

Hi Dace

Well at least stopped so thats good.

Im no medical expert at all, but I do remember being told not to drink any orange drinks etc..something to do with acid. Again only my opinion to go by, but I personally would not gargle with TCP as very strong and was also advised not to use any mouthwash at all with alcohol content

I was prescribed Difflam mouthwash that I gargle with and makes a big difference.I was also prescribed Caphosol tablets which is also a mouth rinse but was advised even this was a little more effective than Difflam as it apparantly helps clear muscas.

Just an idea but perhaps a word with treatment team over oral hygene during treatment might help and hopefully something prescribed.

kind regards

ian

Thanks Ian Im using the TCP well diluted 50/50 mainly because my mouth looked so bad and I did ask a radiologist if it was ok to use and she said it was, having said that I woke this morning and the roof of my mouth is bleeding so i`ll stick to the salt and bicarb washes for now as well as the Difflam. Thanks for everyones input its good to share experiences.

Dave

Hi Dave

just to echo Ian’s comments be very careful with TCP I think it will be far too strong .you can get oral non alcohol mouth washes prescribed or try Boots for Biotene for dry mouths I was ok at start with that’s but recently too strong  I must be delicate as the difflam is too strong as well I have ordered bioxtra on line my Macmillan nurse gave me a small sample but can’t precseibe it due to costs . It’s strange how Ian in Scotland seems to get everything prescribed me in the North have to beg , I had to beg for food supplements but that’s a whole different story !!!

just take evtythjng one day at a time are u in for treatment iver the weekend ? I only had one bank h9kiday while mine was been done and the week prior I had 6 blasts that was hard. Best advise just put tv on n. Chill over   Christmas don’t over do anythjng as your body will now deffo start to feel the effects. 6/7 weeks radiotherapy can take up fom18 months to recover from 

Hazel

Thanks Hazel yes im in on sunday I get Christmas day and Boxing day off, my appetite is waning now although I can swallow ok with slight discomfort, my doc prescribed some drink supplements this week I didnt have to ask, we all get different advise and treatment obviously...18 months to recover..bloody hell and yes Im knocking the TCP off. 

I was playing 5 a side football up to 2 weeks ago really missing it. 

Dave   

Hello all and I hope helps but rationale to start this thread was to try and log my little journey in the hope that it helped at least one person..

soooo this is not my 4th week post treatment and I hope I am not talking too soon or overegging but I feel bloody great this week and in the scheme of things its a good message week over progress.

I feel even one week has made a difference and am starting to notice improvements in how I feel with side effects and how I feel personally.

Dont get me wrong , Im still tired and nap when I like, but seem to be awake longer this week and have managed a few different experiments re food. Had mince/mash.petir pois n carrots all mashed in and managed to take in. Taste not brilliant brilliant but its fuel and wasnt as bad as thought and cound t done cpl weeks ago. Managed this week to eat half thin bagle with butter/bacon n soft egg and the most wonderful cup of warm milky tea. Frankfurters n tomato sauce, but as Hazel said you will often find you cant take everything...Tried a steak and gravy pie, took one bite and put it out as too gross.

Down to 3 ensure drinks a day then supplementing my supplements with my food experiments and mini curly wurlys and mini mars bars. Sod the teeth for now !

Not sure whats going on, but one thing I am going through a lot of is these mini curly wurlys...one thing that tastes great right from fringe and I must admit am indulging in them quite a bit but can only help pile the calories on.

Mucas has pretty much disappeared completely and although mouth still dry not as bad as it has been and Blitex on lips to keep moist has been great and helpful.
Still drinking at least 3/4 litres water a day and im convinced helps so much with everything..

Still on meds but have reduced oral morphine slightly as also on slow release morphine and this has been fine as well, touch wood.

I may have a blip and will deal with if and when comes, but after such a bloody gruelling time its great to have a week where I genuinely feel bloody fantastic !!!!!

I guess im coming across as little over excited as im still obviously not fully recovered but its good to have a good cheer mesasge and to those of you behind me in treatment, take heart that the side effects do calm down on your journey like mine. We are all different and will happen in different stages and although some side effects may increase again, am taking heart on  how I feel just now.

Next goal is to get back to reading more as Im an avid reader and miss as ive found too tiring. 

So onwards and upwards again and hopefully by next weeks update I will have been out ice skating, dancing and little bit of hill walking lol

kind regards

ian