Have been away for rather a while and inevitably lost touch with a number of contacts on the site, as life has returned to a degree of normal (see below!).
In a month's time, I will be 3 years post-treatment for HNC (primary was left tonsil and secondaries in neck). Have had clear scans since, but for some time I have had discomfort around the surgical site. I have put this down to the fairly constant mucus issue and
I still have sensitivity to spicy foods as the tongue just doesn't seem to be able to cope with it.
Not sure about others, but even though my HNC was nothing to do with alcohol or smoking, I now very rarely have any alcoholic drinks. A glass of red wine used to be my pleasure, but frankly I am no longer able to appreciate the subtleties of its taste. Hardly a major price to pay though!
This past year or so I have managed some decent physical challenges, including 50k and 25k Ultra treks and setting some personal bests on the Concept 2 indoor rower. The satisfaction of managing this is heightened by looking at the overall context of my 'journey'.
It is sometimes easy to forget (or at least put aside) what we've been through because the natural state is to want to get back to 'normal' (or rather a 'new normal'). However, the ongoing side-effects do bring you back to reality occasionally; be it an unexpected bout of neuropathy, cramp in the jaw, nerves tingling in the side of my head, ear discomfort, discomfort around the surgical site etc.
The difficulty is knowing whether or not any changes to these sensations are a sign of something untoward or are merely 'one of those things' we just adapt to.
Anyway, love to all and I am always here as a sounding-board.
John
