Tonsillectomy 6 days time

Pokerhontos, two important things to start; first, yes of course you can post without a diagnosis and second, google is not your friend; any info you get there will be non-specific and out of date, stay away.

My experiences aren't overly similar to yours but the general outcome of head and neck cancers (if you're confirmed as having it) are very good; very challenging admittedly but there's loads of us on here who have the T-shirt and are living great lives.

The waiting is the worst bit, really hope you get some clarity soon and then, if you need it, you'll get great support here.

Hi Pokerhontos. As Mike says of course you can post and google isn’t helping you so please try to stay away. I am 3.5 years post treatment for tonsil cancer with several affected lymph nodes.if in deed you are confirmed as a tonsil cancer club  member stick with us on here. As for symptoms we are all different personally I had nothing apart from lump in collar bone area. 
I had no sore throat no pain nothing visual. 
good luck with appointments hopefully you won’t need us. But if you do everyone wil try to help you. 
Tip fo things to distract yourself watch box sets pick up a good book go for a walk. Anything other than google you won’t help yourself at this stage. Google has its place but until you’ve a full diagnosis stay away. Even then be very careful as info is out of date on there. 
Hazel x

Hi there, I’m currently 9 days out from my double tonsillectomy, Panendoscopy and tongue scrape. I won’t lie to you it’s a trying experience but definitely doable . My advice would be keep on top of your meds, take on plenty of water and you will be fine. Food wise soggy cornflakes with loads of sugar on have been my go to for a week (cornflakes also help scrape the nasties from the back of the throat also). I reckon I’m a couple of days out now from eating normally again , there’s still a couple of scabs at the tonsil site for anything outrageous but today had a fish pie with a couple of penguins (not the bird) for desert.

Welcome to the board btw and swerve google , come here for your advice . I’m in the early days of my diagnosis and the good folk on here have helped me out no end with there advice.

Hi Pokerhontos and a warm welcome from me.  You are certainly in the right place to post your worries and concerns.  I don't know how much you have been told about what is happening in the operation and post operative care. 

Firstly the panendoscopy is just a posh name for a good look around your mouth, neck and upper airways whilst you are under.  If they find anything new they will probably biopsy it at that time.

I can't help with the nostril lesion, but I can speak from experience on the tonsillectomy.  I am happy to go over what I found worked for me in recovery if you want.  Just shout out in this thread or private message me.

As Mike says don't go near Google.  There is good information on there but you have to be trained in clinical research to get to it.  The vast majority is out of date as treatment for these cancers is advancing so rapidly and cure rates are going up with those advances.  Also I think most people who post on Google about H&N cancers are hoping to scare people unnecessarily.

Hi pokerhontos 

i have found this really helpful! I’ve just been diagnosed with one tonsil and one neck node small part on base of tongue so slightly different but all scary. I only had biopsy so should imagine total removal is slightly more involved but within a week I was healing. I’m moving straight on to radiotherapy and chemo so if that’s suggested after your surgery be happy to share some advice as I’ll be underway by then. Good luck, everyone has been lovely here and so nice to be amongst people who understand x

Hi Pokerhontos and welcome to the forum.

As has been mentioned please resist the urge to google your symptoms, likely prognosis and treatment.  Any treatment you receive will be based purely on your own diagnosis which may be wildly different to what is posted online so it's really not helpful at the moment.

All the best for your surgery on Friday.  If it transpires that  you have a cancer diagnosis you will find lots of support and advice here. 

If you feel up to it, please let us know how you get on. 

Take care.

Linda x

Hi Mike

 Please forgive the huge delay replying to yourself. 
I will answer everyone below.

Avril x

Hi Linda

 I’m so sorry about the huge delay rolling to yourself, I will reply below to you all

 Avril x

So I’ve just realised that replying to you all separately drops to the bottom of the reply anyway!

Hi all, I hope you are all doing well & Gaz how are You recovering? You must be 20 days or so now since your tonsillectomy. Delilia how are you getting on with your treatment? Are you having the radiotherapy first, I’ve heard it’s very tough going. I/we always presume that radiotherapy is the ‘easy’ option out of them both (radio/chemo) but I was naively corrected! 

I am so sorry that I haven’t jumped on here since my first post, I really struggled after the tonsillectomy. I had to have allot more removed than first anticipated, the roof of my mouth further down my throat and my tongue. The first week was obviously painful but I was dealing until day 8 and from there it was absolute hell. I also had a small tumour/lesion removed from my nose so my sinuses were well and truly blocked as were my ears/nose. I have heart failure, Dilated Cardiomyopathy and left bundle branch block. So the breathlessness, palpitations etc didn’t mix well with the above and the pain was awful. 
I was told around 3 weeks before I would receive my results so when I got a call from the hospital yesterday just 12 days after my op I knew. Yes I have Cancer, tonsil cancer and a plan was quickly put in place. I will be starting with 6-8 weeks of daily radiotherapy. A meeting is going to take place to discuss further treatments/care. Because of my current health situations it has slightly complicated things, I am actually due to have bowel surgery on the 2nd of March!! Obviously I can’t have this right now but yes all of that needs discussed. A hat has to be tailored, I’ve to have a PET scan and see the dental team prior to starting treatment. So as I mentioned in my first post 3 lumps/lymph nodes were seen in my neck. 1 either side & one on my thyroid, 2 off them they are certain are ‘reactive’ but the largest on the same side right side is suspicious. So in the next few days a biopsy of that lump will be taken, I’m presuming if it’s positive that it’s most probably secondary-spread? I met my Cancer Nurse, she was actually the lady who called me yesterday who at the time I thought was the surgeons secretary.

Thank you all again for having the time to reply to my first post and I hope I didn’t deter you all by not answering sooner. I’ve has such allot going on, it’s been very tough.

Gaz & Delilah I would love to hear how you are both going on.

Avril x

Avril it does sound like your body is really putting you through the mill.  Everything crossed for a good outcome.  Stay with us and shout whenever you need some help or just to moan about how the treatment is affecting you.