hi all

I am 16 months out of Tomotherapy and chemotherapy for throat cancer

Although not quite back to my pre treatment self....I am getting there

However, as those of us who have had any sort of radio therapy around the head area, will know that for the rest of our lives, oral hygiene is of the utmost importance.

You see there is a risk that the blood vessels around the jaw could have been damaged and in an extreme case, an infection in the tooth, could lead to jaw necrosis and after surviving cancer I don't fancy going through that.

The radiation treatment knocks all the fluoride out of your teeth and therefore for the rest of my life I have to use Duraphat 5000. Normal toothpaste is far too hash and painful ... Believe me the wife and I once went away and I forgot my Duraphat 5000, so used a small amount of toothpaste and was in agony for two days.

I am sure it's the same with all of us, but I now brush after every meal, so I go through several of these small tubes of Duraphat a month.

On a recent collection of my medications, I have just been told that the practice manager has stopped my supply of Duraphat 5000 on the basis that it's not a pescribed product and can be bought over the counter.

If there is any benefits to having cancer ( and there are not a lot), then it's getting free medications for 5 years and having worked all my life and paid into the system, as I have got to use this toothpaste for the rest of my life, for now and at £14 per small tube ....feel I should be getting this free.

I have only just been told about this, so am trying to calm down before i offload both barrels to some none medical   bean counter, who has no idea what surviving cancer still involves.

I do not want to get disease elitist, but I have not eaten my way diabetes and those who have get their drugs free for the rest of their lives. I had no control over contracting cancer and only get my drugs free for 5 years ... Or so I thought.

I would be grateful for any thoughts on this