Hi Chris

I had 4 years of being monitored and I felt the same as you and in some ways it was a bit of a relief when I could finally get it sorted once and for all. I just wanted my voice back - I was fed up with people always asking me if I had a sore throat or "too much karioke?" which really used to annoy me!

In answer to your question, the side effects are pretty horrible but I had my treatment 3 times a day for 2 and a half weeks so it was very intense. So by the end of the first week I had 15 treatments so I started to feel quite rough by then. The first few days weren't too bad so if you're having radiotherapy once a day then the side effects won't kick in for a couple of weeks.

The worse side effect was (and still is) the lack of saliva and dry mouth. You really don't know how much you depend on it to swallow your food until you don't have it! I had to go into hospital at the end of the second week (30 treatments) to be tube-fed as I couldn't even manage to swallow water and I was very dehydrated. I ended up on the ward for 2 weeks and was about to have a PEG fitted (a tube which goes straight in to your stomach) but I was so adament I wouldn't have one that I forced myself to eat some pureed weetabix! I lost a stone once I came out of hospital as it was very difficult to eat and the pain was pretty bad. I was on morphine for a few weeks but that made me really sick so it was a vicious circle as I didn't feel like eating anyway.

To summarise, you will be fine at first and then as time goes on you will be in some discomfort and you will feel very, very tired so try and prepare yourself and don't plan too far ahead. Just stay focused and beat this horrible disease once and for all!

When do you start your treatment? I had to wait 6 weeks befor they could start as there's a lot of planning involved.

I'd love to hear from you with updates Chris, if you ever want to email me at home it's marion.taylor27@ntlworld.com or otherwise keep posting as I'm sure Andy and others will want to know how you are getting on.

Take care,

Love Marion x

Hi joninty

Sorry to see that you are having a bad time at the moment, how is the treatment coming on, I had radiotherapy for my throat cancer I had it for 6 weeks it want that bad at first but I was so tired after, like you I lost my voice but after a while it steadily came back people dont understand how it is it is so frustrating not being able to just say what you want.

What did your specialist say did he say it is only Ti. if so the future looks good, has the treatment done the trick, all I can say is keep smiling there is always light at the end of the tunnel,

If you want if you want to talk about it later after yor treatment I will give you my email if you need anymore help.

love michael.

Hi Marion,

Am having voice therapy at the moment but it doesn't seem to be helping that much. Sometimes when I'm relaxed at home and its quiet I can almost read something aloud normally but as soon as there is back ground noise and I have to increase volume it starts to break up. I think some of it is psycological as I tend to worry too much about how I will sound and then of course everything tightens up. My clients at work have been v understanding and are used to me sounding hoarse and don't mind which helps me relax but when I have to meet new people I feel very self conscious. Guess its all part of the course, I just hope the next check up goes ok otherwise I think its more lasering. Hope all is well with you.

Andy x

hi Chris,

Just wondering how your appointment went on thurs? Just wanted to say hope all went well and don't hesitate to contact me when ever you want during your treatment or any time. If you want to contact me directly my e mail is andy.moore8@sky.com and I have g mail chat etc. Sure you will be fine soon. My voice has slightly improved but still no where near how i want it to be as I noticed tonight in a crowded noisy pub watching the football, don't think anyone heard what I said! Anyway have a good w/e and keep in touch.

Best wishes

andy

Hi Chris

I know what you mean about speech therapy, it didn't help me much but at least I thought I'd give it a go.

If it's of any reassurance, although my voice is great most of the time, I also have times where I've strained it because of talking too much or too loud. I used to panic every time I got hoarse worrying that the cancer had come back but I've got used to it now and I think I'd only panic now if it didn't go back to normal after a few days.

Sounds like you shouldn't have wasted your voice shouting after England on Friday! ;)

Let me know how you get on at your next appointment. Hope we hear from Chris soon as well.

Love Marion x

Hi Marion,

Yes keeping up with the voice therapy as its good sometimes to just have someone to talk to once a week who understands what this is like. I've got my appointment with my consultant today right in the middle of the football!! so hopefully the waiting room will be quiet My voice has been a little better over the last week so really hoping that everything looks alright when he looks at it. i will let you know how i get on.

Andy x

Hi Guys hope you are well.

Well I can tell you it has been an up and down week or so since I last posted. I went to see the oncologist who talked to me about it and all the risks and told me to go and think over what I want to do. So after a couple of sleepless nights I decided that I was going to have it done. I got called back in the following Tuesday to be told that I was not advanced enough so they were going to just keep on watching me until it developed or not.

However I got another call to go back in on Monday to be told that after speaking to an expert at Christies in Manchester that it would almost certainly become cancer in the future they have no decided to let me have the RT done!!!!!!!!!

In some ways it has helped me as I was very disappointed not to be having done so hopefully this will bring an end to it all. I will keep you posted as to when I start and how it is going.

Andy I hope your check up went well.

Chris

hi Chris, Marion

Sounds quite unsettling all that tooing and throwing but glad to hear you are going to get the treatment, and i'm sure you are doing the right thing. Just had my check up which was sort of ok he said while the swelling had gone down and my voice sounded better he would keep an eye on it as theres still a small area which is suspect but he thinks this may be scarring from the laser but if there is any more swelling he will want to do another biopsy under a general. Each month I hope when I see him he will say its all cleared up and when he say's its still not normal and he'll will keep an eye on it, its like a sort of temporary reprieve,as I really hate having the upheaval of having the laser, sure you know the feeling.... Keep us posted chris and let us know how you get on with the treatment.

All the best

Andy

Hi Zacker.

I had radio for throat cancer for 6 weeks, when I had a scan and biopsy it showed that my cancer had gone onto the other vocal chord, what has your specialist said it is, is it still T1, I like you thought that it would get better, I was so tired and my voice took a long time to get better, I had a dry throat but I got a spray that gives your throat back saliva. I wont go into what happened to me after as I dont want you to worry about it.

All I can say is wait to see what happens, look on the bright side, in a while later lets see what becomes of your treatment then maybe I will let you know how I got on todate:)

lots of love Michael.