Covid concerns

Hi Cosmos. In the scheme of things a few weeks delay shouldn’t have too much of an effect. A guy who was diagnosed same time as me had a 2 week holiday planned. His oncologist told him to go. So few weeks either way didn’t effect his outcome. As for me I was in Spain  when i first noticed my lump in collarbone March 2018 we didn’t go home until 14 May the next day I was put in 2 week cancer pathway what a shock  that was  I thought I had pulled a muscle cycling

! I too had tonsil cancer h p v plus. My treatment didn’t start until 14 July.  So as yiu see everything takes time to sort.
Hope this helps Hazel . 

HI Cosmos69 and welcome.  I know what you mean about kids at home and perceived risks!  Although mine are now past teenage years.  The only correct answer you will get about any Covid induced delays is from your hospital as they all have slightly differing views on this as the situation ebbs and flows.

I got diagnosed similar to your husband and immediately went off on a pre-planned holiday of 3 1/2 weeks.  My last surgery was at the height of Covid last year.  That holiday delay made no material difference to my treatment or outcome so I would think that if the worst came and Covid was in the house then, stress levels aside, your husband will not sufferer any less success in his treatment.

With the improving weather you can keep a good airflow through the house and generally minimise contact with the kids for the 10 days or so you have to wait.  I am sure they will understand and do their best to minimise their contact and risk of infection - although the schools do seem to be rife at the moment.

Thank you for your reply. When I was reading it was saying delaying surgery for 6 weeks if you get covid but hopefully it will be sooner if the worst happens and we get covid in the house. My husband first notice a lump in his neck about two months ago max and the doctor told him it was a rash! Anyway I made his go back and since then he has been seen very quickly and the team at Sunderland hospital have been brilliant. 

Good evening Cosmos79, there was a very similar post about 3 weeks ago about the same concerns with covid, the wife's last update was that her husband managed to avoid getting covid and the operation went ahead as planned with all going well. If your husband did get Covid then I'm sure the operation will be re-arranged as soon as possible to keep the risk of it spreading down to a minimum, most cancers are slow-growing that's why we never notice it straight away, mine started off with what I thought was an ulcer on my gum that would not go away. I cannot see it spreading if he has to wait for a couple of weeks, i know its worrying times as they are saying on the news that its on the increase again although the vaccines are making a vast difference. Hope all goes as planned for the 4th of April, all the best to you all. Take care.

                                                                                  Chris x                                                           

Thank you for taking time to respond and your reassuring words

Thank you Peter for taking time to respond

Just to update that my husband had his operation yesterday (robotic surgery and neck dissection) and went well, he is doing well and tried a yoghurt today but finding swallowing anything difficult

Hi pleased he managed the surgery with all your  covid concerns. I only had biopsy so can’t comment on robotic but plenty on here have had robotic am sure someone will pop on soon. Make sure he comes home with plenty if pain medication.

Hazel 

Thank you Hazel 

I did not have TORS but had plenty of surgery done down my throat!

The neck dissection should not really cause and issues during recovery.  There may be some longer term side effects that physio and time will greatly heal.

It is early days for eating.  We all react differently to the trauma of surgery.  Has he come home yet?  Often they try to get you out after a single night is it is safe, but it does depend on how extensive the operation was. 

Yoghurt is actually one of the worst things to try!  The texture and thickness of it makes it stick in the throat, or so I found.

I soon learned that taking painkillers around 30 mins before trying to swallow food really did help in the first few days.

Can he take fluids?  It is essential to stay hydrated.  If he can't I would raise the issue with your CNS quickly - unless he is still on the ward in which case they should be aware.

Eating will come back over the next 10 days or so.  Calories are actually vital to recovery so try and get some soft, maybe fatty (=slippery) high calorie foods in for him.  Complan (normally sold in Tesco) with gold top milk can be a life saver if they don't give him any prescription foods (probably unlikely).