Hi Andy

Sorry to hear that the news wasn't really what you wanted to hear but you are at a very early stage and there's no sign that it has spread so I'm sure you have an excellent chance of a complete cure. As you know, I was staged at a T3 + 1 lymph node and I was given a 95% chance of cure so hope you find that reassuring. Looking at everyone's posts I've noticed that we seem to all have had it on the left vocal cord - that seems like a bit of a coincidence! It's good news that you only have it in a small area.

Your consultant / oncologist will probably have told you what to expect in terms of your treatment. You will probably have an MRI scan first, next they will take a "mould" of your face to make a radiotherapy mask which fits very snugly over your face and neck and it then attached to the RT bed to ensure that you don't move. The RT itself is completely painless and takes around 15 minutes. You may remember that I had it 3 times a day for 2 and a half weeks so I felt the side affects after the end of the first week. You will probably get the weekends off to give you a break from it. The main sympton you will have is tiredness. I used to be overwhelmed by fatigue and slept a lot from the second week, often having to be woken up for my next dose!

It won't be an easy ride but at least you know that this will be the end of it once and for all and hopefully you will have your voice back to normal at last! Strangely enough, I too felt relieved in a way when I was finally diagnosed and I had been going back and forth for check ups, biopsies and lasering for the previous 4 years. My two sisters were with me and crying their eyes out at that appointment and I had to comfort them! I seemed to get this inner strength and thought "right, I got it and now I'm going to get rid of it once and for all!"

It's so nice of you to say that I feel like a friend, I feel very touched and humbled. I feel the same - it's amazing that you can get to know people by sharing the same experiences and knowing that you are talking to someone who knows exactly what you are going through. Everyone on this particular subject has been very kind, helpful and supportive.

Let us know how you are getting on. I know there will be a time in a few weeks that you may not feel like posting but be assured that I (and I'm sure the others) will be thinking of you every step of the way in your journey.

Sorry if I've waffled on too much - as you can see I like to talk

Speak to you soon.

Love Marion xx

Hi Michael (Joeninty)

Nice to see that you are still reading our posts - I haven't forgotten you!

I have just replied to Andy so there's probably not a lot to add but hope you are doing well.

Keep posting!

Love Marion x

Hi Marion thanks for your reply. Its strange but in an odd way I feel like a weight has been lifted and actually feel v positive about the future, its like the buck stops here and i'm finally saying, GO!... be off with you!!! I'm obviously wary about the treatment and how I will feel during and slightly worried it could affect my voice, but hey , it sounds bad enough now, and they told me at worse it may only stay the same, so i'm hoping for some improvement. Funnily enough now my throat is healing from the laser my voice has been slightly better over the last few days and I went back to work yesterday.

Not sure if I mentioned i'm a personal fitness trainer, I use my voice a fair amount but I don't shout at clients and work in a small private gym, which thankfully isn't too noisy. Do you think I will be able to keep working during the first few weeks of treatment? My consultant said he'd leave it up to me but if I felt ok then I should be able to. I know towards the end of the treatment I will need to take time off, which I guessing should be round about xmas time. I think i'm going to tell my clients that I will review it on a weekly or daily basis depending on how I feel as I work for my self so want to keep some money coming in.

Thanks again for all the info and don't worry about waffling I do a lot of that too so your in good company, and its much easier to waffle with your finger tips than with a hoarse voice. It is strange about the left vocal chord...I'm left handed so perhaps its that!

Was thinking.... looking at all our posts, that perhaps each time we post we should mention something were've done or somewhere been which has absolutely nothing to do with cancer, eg, film or play you've seen or album you've heard etc just to lighten things up a bit and find out a bit about each other, perhaps its a bit naff but might make things a bit more fun. Will keep you posted and up to date on my progress and thanks again for your continued support.

Love Andy xx

Hi Luckus.

Thanks for replying, I know what he must be thinking, when I was told what the outcome of my biopsy/radio and 3 trips down to theatre for checkups, the specialist gave me the news that I didnt want, I came out of his office and a specialist nurse came running after me and said did I understand what he had just told me, I had took it all in, the next thing I knew I had a date for my op.

The operation I had is called a total laryngectomy, I wont tell you anymore, it is the wrong end of my type of cancer, I am great now do most of the things I did before.

I did a abseil for a childs charity in april only 65 yards down it was great no nerves. tell your husband to talk about it with you, the more you know what he is thinking the more you can help to find out things on his behalf hope to hear from you again

joeninty Michael.

Hi Marion.

What stage was your cancer mine was T4 I had surgery in the end, not what I wanted but it has gone now. how are you keeping now, have you got on with your life like me now.

There seems to be more people on here lately with neck cancers, the first thing my specialist asked was how long I had been smoking, I dont smoke and never had, it must have been the wild life I had in the 60s in pubs watching all the groups.

Nice to hear from you all the best.

Michael.

Hi Zacker.

I see you have to have radio, I had it for 6 weeks, like Marion says you will probably

have to have a mask made it is to stop you moving around during the lazer, it dosnt hurt at all but near the end you will get very tired, I also had a dry mouth but I went to the doctors and you can get a artificial suliva spray to spray down your throat and it helps alot, I was also given drinks by the diet nurse as I coudnt swallow much. because I had a bit of lazer done before the radio.

Sounds like they have sorted you out. let us know how you get on.

Best of luck.

Michael. joeninty

Hi michael thanks for your reply and thoughts, yes have to go in on tues and get fitted up etc, am at Barts in london and they have a very unit and offer lots of advice and support so I think i'm in good hands. I'm really glad to hear that your cancer has gone and you are getting on with your life and well done on the ab sail, i'm impressed!! thanks again for your support.

Best Wishes

Andy

Hi Andy

Great that you have such a positive attitude! Like you said, at least you can get rid of it now instead of constant monitoring.

You did mention before you was a personal trainer but I forgot about that. That's making me feel a bit lazy as I don't do any exercise although I was going to palates regularly up until last month.

I'm not sure what to say about the tiredness after RT as I was having it 3 times a day I got tired quite quickly. It's hard to remember but I'm sure that I was feeling really tired during my second week so that would have been at least 15 doses and that would be equivalent to 3 weeks worth of radio. Just play it by ear as everyone is different and I think you are doing the right thing but reviewing work on a weekly basis.

I agree it would be good to talk about 'normal' things as well. After just coming back from New York I'm on a bit of a downer at the moment but still feeling tired so I'm sure I'll cheer up after the weekend.

How old are you Andy? You sound young but it's hard to tell by writing! Did you ever smoke and do you drink? I like to think I'm a young 53 year old (well so I'm told!) and don't smoke but still like a glass of wine (I know I shouldn't but I don't go mad).

Look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a great weekend!

Love Marion xx

Hi Michael

I was staged at T3 N1 but I don't smoke either, although the doctors jump to conclusion that it's smoking that causes it. Who knows if passive smoking is a contributor though - I've been to lots of smoky pubs in the past. Thank God for the smoking ban! I still think that my inhalers for asthma could be the cause as I have to take 2 inhalers twice a day every day. My consultant has blamed it on my genes!

You're right, there seems to be an increase in neck cancers, you may have seen from an earlier post that my daughter's friend has laryngeal cancer and she's only 30! I'm going to see her next week to answer any questions she has about the treatment. She starts in 3 weeks time.

Great that you are doing OK - keep up the good work!

Love Marion x

Hi Marion.

Iam sorry to hear about your friend got the same as me, did you say that you have just got back fron new york. I want to go abroad but I worried that the plane air and the traveling might affect my stoma I have been to america twice once to texas on a buddy holly trip and tice to florida. I would like to go again but can't take the risk.

Glad to hear that you are ok. and it sounds like zacker is going through a bit of a time, I also go on cancer chat site and I am helping a lady who's mam is going for the same op as me and she is worried.

Best of health to you Marion.

Love Michael.