all hugs accepted as you have to remember most men are more dramatic.

Will up my food this week and just off phone to docs and have another 84 Ensures prescribed for the month mmmmmmmm yummy

You have the most fab holiday my friend 

ian x

Ian my meds are Liquid Paracetamol 500g as needed, I just take it before eating and  Pregabalin twice a day, 

Oramorph which I’m not taking I don’t like the stuff it gives me indegestion, constipation and hiccups.

E45 cream for skin and Difflam for gargles and I mouthwash/gargle with saltwater and bicarbonate that’s it

Dave

Hi ian n Dave

your necks should be fine now not being zapped. Oncologist said to me on Monday he knew on day 1 what my neck n tounge woukd be  like but h e chose not tell me and upset me as it was necessary for the margins he wanted to cure .to which  I am eternally grateful my neck now perfect although no freckles ! The radiotherapy has zapped them which I find strange !

84 ensures cool thick we should all get invited to I am a celebrity this year !!aftervtriaks we’ve been through think I could even face my worst fear Rats ! Lol

Didn’t want to stereotype the make species !!!!!!!!! Man fkunetc. Lol

enjoy your weekend and whilst I am sipping my water overlooking the sea will raise a glass to us all.

Hazel

Hazel have great holiday, 

Dave

Have a great holiday Hazel. Great to see the post treatment updates, Ian  and Dave. Hope you perk up Ian, im learning this fact from you all,  just when you think you are over the worse, there may be a another bout of fatigue and appetite issues, duly noted.

If any of you would like to  give opinons on my update please do. It is Ian's thread but i think keeping it updated with new cases may really help people. Certainly has for me, thank you all.  So;

although im three weeks in only done 13 sessions, due to machine issues. So i got a 4 day break Sat to Weds, may skew my current status. But, i am ok, still managing some solids, no meds at all, trying liquids in preparation. I had a swollen uvula and sores at back of mouth, not too bad now, the magic mouthwash they gave me really is good. The amino acids as mentioned by Eric, have so far kept mucous to a reasonable level. However. 13 out of 33, not even halfway, not fooling myself.

Which brings me to pain relief. My consultant asked what i had to date, odd ibuprofen and paracetemol. So she said, lets start you on very low dose fentanyl patch see how you handle opiods in advance of pain, I was quite impressed! Being proactive, which im hoping is good. So i have that plus obligatory anti sickness stuff for 5 days , and obligatory laxative. Going to see how i get on, reluctant as im fine but get her point. Instead of oramorph here for relief , they give a nasal spray type quick shot of fentanyl for breakthrough pain, for the future, getting her retalliation in first it seems. That alone is 84 euros but cost me less than 5, although the cream they want me to use here is dear, 23 euros.It is good though as i was a real mess with another cream i got, this sorted it.

Love to know any thoughts on this lot of info, seems a bit deifferent from UK and  i need your collective views, you have got through, im not even half way.So,  many thanks. Graeme (the realist!)

Hi Graeme,

Given from what you are describig it would appear to be pretty normal expectations at your point in treatment. Very general but the first fortnight or so of treatment seems pretty uneventful and if I am anything to go by, some side effects kicked in the middle week 3...very slowely then creeped up a bit more.
Meds I guess does seem different as I was pretty much given morphine from the get go then upped dosage and still on.
Not clear what your plan is regarding te opiates as oralmorhone is just quick relief wheres, I for example was given MST morphie tablets as well, I think at the start of week 4 but Id have to check,  whcih basically means taking 2 tablets and having in system 24 hours a day. Good you are on anti sickness but I was under impression laxitive prescribed to couteract the effects of doses of morphine?
Other point that has been made here and by others as well is that the pain meds are prescribed for a reason and to take them if neeed and not to try and muddle through.

Cost wise, again been raised here as medication costs are high although, and I can oly speak for Scotland in UK, in that all our medications are free no matter what or how many or often we need which is a godsend. Range of potential meds otherwise I would imagine would be costly.
By and large Graeme you seem to be doing fine and describing where you are at this stage would appear to be pretty normal. As you say, little early for any graet side effects and hopefully kept to a minimum but at least you shouldnt get any major suprises.
Keep us posted and ask away anything or just share journey as we are all here to help one another.

Rememer to keep drinking lol....my mantra !

kind regards

ian

GHi Graeme

will do a pleasant 18;degrees beats a 1 degree thatbwe have in West Yorkshire as I type.

Main differences I can see we have the security if a machine goes down becasue our cancer centres are bigger we onky have the inconvenience of maybe a few hours not a few days. The only breakdown I incurred was in my very last day a fan outage took all 33 machines down but I had never seen as  many technicians descend in such a short time within 2 hours normal service  resumed. 

The major difference I can see is Spain prescribes most things here there is deffo a North south and east west split. I am in contact with a girl who was treated Middlesex U CH hospital they automatically give a peg to every head and neck cancer patient up north in my area u get one if u have no primary cancer found as radiation is heavier on both sides , whereas we have to agree in writing a nasal feeding tube if required can be given. Also again in my area nondifflam spray no mouthwashes no caphosol tablets. Anything the hospital prescribes you get the generic trade name i.e Movicol prescribe you get Movicol at my Drs you get the cheapest foulest one they can get away with. Likewise I could only tolerate Ensure butbDrs refuses to pay for it and kept changing prescription to an even fouler tasting one so I had to fight for the Ensure .

The amino acids that you and Eric have been prescribed seem excellent as neither if you aren’t plagued with mucus .

good luck with the opioids if you need them use them At my worst I wasn’t 40 ml of oramorph and 8 co codomol  and 6 ibuprofen every day ,now weaned off and down to 8 paracetamol .

the hospital sidnin all fairness have no issue with prescribing gelclair for ulcers at £75/to buy a weeks supply and when my neck burned the burns bandages were £70 a rook and was using 2 a day and the tape was £25/@a roll.

will be interesting to see other comments

Hazel

Good replies, really shows the differing policies , and i noticed USA diffferent each state. I wasnt offered PEG, they said 20pc chance id need nasal, but maybe just pacifying me! Yes, Ian they advise on the laxitive for fentanyl, seems morphine by another name, although no expert. Also gave me presription for enema if ....erm....3 days of lax doesnt work! Im wary of taking anything, but a few times ive noticed you guys say, take the meds, and she said gets me used to it, so start routine tomorrow since ive no car journeys.  Like i said week 3 done but im really week 2 and a half so early days. In fact maybe im getting some effects early, rotten taste today, sorted out after i ate, taste buds ok....for now. Thanks guys have a great, treatment free weekend, some of us resume Monday.....uuurrgh:

edit; 

yes i got free meds when i lived in UK  7 years ago.Here we pay around 20 pc of cost.  My Spanish is ok, no more, but the charity send me nice translators. Wish we had spare machines here, they say we are lucky for a small island to have vmat technology.

One week post treatment and Iv noticed that my saliva is returning, Iv just eaten a tin of vegetable soup one slice of bread then ginger cake and custard, that’s the nearest thing Iv eaten to a meal in a while and I’m pleased with that.

Dave