Head and neck cancer

JBu said:

PS - mark of your treatment appointments as you go it will give you a sense of achievement - it has help my hubby.  

That’s a great tip. But do it properly. Not like I did it. 
I put all mine in my phone diary, numbered. I was given my times weekly as they changed. I didn’t check thoroughly enough so I got to 30 and having been clipped down for the last time I asked when my next appointment was only to be told, tomorrow. 
I had got my dates wrong. I had to laugh! What else could I do? 

Thank you for your help, yes I am having a peg fitted and someone is coming out to show me how to use it  I have to say that everyone on here has been so supportive and it has been such a great help. 
Lillian 

1. Thank you for your help, yes I am having a peg fitted and someone is coming out to show me how to use it  I have to say that everyone on here has been so supportive and it has been such a great help. 
   Lillian 

Hi Lillian, we live in Darlington so you may be under the same team of nurses.  We had Kimberley and she is amazing and made us feel very at ease with using it.  Any questions just message on hear and I'll to help if possible.   Good luck you have got this x

I finished 30  rounds of RT and 7 chemo in September for throat cancer/  I am now 12 weeks post treatment and awaiting first MRI scan results since treatment.  I look back on the past 12 weeks and ask myself how did I get throughj it?   There were some very dark days, there were days that I just sat in a chair, days I cried, days where the pain was unbelievable.  I still cant eat properly, I have a RIG tube fitted, have spent a total of 4 weeks in and out of hospital.  Today I feel much better, more positive but I know that I have a long long way to go.  My family and a couple of friends have been my backbone.  Its a very, very hard journey, you will survive and you will get through it.  Just listen to your body, don't try and do it alone (I did for a while) then realised I couldn't do it

You will survive te treatment but its gruelling and pretty barnaric but the choices are not out there.  Stay strong, look at this site its been really helpful.  I wish you all the luck in the world and will pray for your receovery.

Pauline

Hi Pauline, thanks for contacting me, I worry that my age will go against me, I am 74 this year. I am also afraid I won’t be able to cope with the pain, in fact I am terrified.  I live on my own but my family live close by and are very supportive but I know they will get upset if they see me in pain. How long does the pain last after the treatment is finished   
Lillian 

I am having a peg fitted this month before I start my treatment. 
Lillian 

Hi Lilian I know we are all different but most of us get through the treatment fairly uneventfully. The lack of control was the worse thing for me.

Pain can be controlled to a tolerable level. It creeps up on you so you have time to get used to things. You’ll be offered all sorts of pain killers. My advice is to take them and shout out to the radiographers you are seeing daily if the painkillers aren’t working. 
I managed on paracetamol for three weeks then added oramorph. The trick is to take them by the clock so you are in front of the pain. Have a list of your meds in the kitchen and tick them off. 
I started having to wake in the night to take my morphine so I was prescribed long acting morphine twice daily which really knocked the background pain out. 
I couldn’t swallow so I fed by tube through a pump overnight for a few weeks. 
Try not to be frightened. You will do it. 
I was 68 when I finished so not far behind you. 

Durhamlady said:

. How long does the pain last after the treatment is finished   

RT has a residual effect for two or three weeks after treatment end. I slept mostly for those two weeks or lounged on the sofa under a duvet watching rubbish TV. 
As a general observation by six weeks you are coming out of the fog and by 12 you’ve turned a real corner. 

Hi Lillian, welcome from me. You’ve made a good start by linking into this forum before treatment, it’s wonderful , the knowledge and support, I’m so glad I found it. It’s so reassuring to know people have been through this experience and out the other side. I can only echo what the others have said and stick to a day at a time. I had 35 RT and 5 chemo. I found the pain manageable and had all my meds prescribed in disposable format which I put in my PEG. I didn’t cope well with the sickness but my consultant and radiotherapy nurse got to grips with it and after a lot of different types of meds they found a combination which I had to take at set times starting at 5am, with painkillers, I’ve noticed most people on this site say take the meds religiously which I did. I’m just over 16 weeks post treatment, still up and down but better days. Keep us updated with your progress , it passes quickly, tell people if you aren’t coping , so many meds out there that can help. Big hugs Debbie x