After a false start last week where my 30 day RT start date was unexpectedly postponed for seven days, I have a strange feeling of 'deja vu' as I prepare myself to embark on the journey to full fitness.
Apart from a stiff neck and some discomfort in my right shoulder I have recovered well from the selective neck dissection to remove the offending lump from the right side of my neck, which i was lucky enough to notice whilst shaving in late July. My 10 inch scar is almost unnoticeable, and I still feel well in myself.
I have had a PEG tube fitted, to enable feeding directly into stomach, ensuring ensure my weight doesn't drop too much during treatment, and again feel fine after the simple 15 minute Op last week.
Fit as the proverbial fiddle prior to my neck operation on 10 October, I now find it hard to motivate myself to do much cardio or gym work. I need to get into a routine and plan to do 30-60mins exercise prior to the hour journey to Southampton hospital for the next six weeks of treatment.
Am now over the shock of having cancer and have accepted I am where I am. Strangely after feeling unlucky to have got it from a virus, I now realise I am lucky that I noticed it early, the fact that it is curable and local to one side of my neck, and the side effects, although not ideal, are in no way as bad as they could have been. No chemo required thanks to the identification of the primary source being in my now removed right tonsil. The time is nigh to start smashing the stragglers.
At 48 years young I also have 'youth' on my side (I cannot recall how many times, bizarrely, I have been referred to being a relative youngster) again initial thoughts of self pity (why me at such a young age) have now morphed into a positive attitude which will use the fact I am under 50 to good effect in beating the cancer and bouncing back in a few months time.
Master bedroom is refurnished and refurbished to include a new surround sound 'smart TV' to help with rest and recuperation. My family, including my wife Julie, remain positive and supportive which is great, and the number of friends contacting me physically and virtually, offering support and well wishes sees me in a good place, and ready to rumble on what is going to be a pretty crappy ride down Radiotherapy Road...Their continued support will no doubt be needed further down the line as I make my way towards my final destination of being cancer free come the middle of January.
I have broken the next few months down into three, six week blocks. Phase 1: Radiotherapy until 28 Dec (Xmas Day and Boxing Day off which is a relief). Phase 2: Recovery until early Feb 14 and then Phase 3: Rehabilitation until mid March when I will be pulling out all the stops to repair the right shoulder and improve cardiovascular performance so I can play judo and squash to a reasonable level again.
I hope to add to this blog on a daily basis, some may prove lengthier accounts than others depending on how I am feeling, but I hope that by the end of it my efforts will go some way to help people understand what I have been through, and more importantly help others about to go through this life changing experience.
And so with about one hundred days of my battle against cancer to come, I stand tall and ready to accept the challenge. Those stragglers are going to be zapped relentlessly from tomorrow, and I plan to come out of this physically leaner, fitter and stronger and emotionally and mentally a better person for the experience...
Dave
