Update - Right tonsil cancer

Hi all,

Just an update as it's been a while.  The shingles got me 3 months post treatment right where I had the radiation,  so I've been a bit out of it.  The pain is kind of under control now.

I am 6 months post treatment now, still got shingles ... in month 3 now. I think most of my discomfort is from  that??? I have had PET scan which showed  hot spot in my small bowel and neck. Then MRI which showed small bowel is nothing sinister and they were fairly sure neck was just enlarged lymph node due to shingles. So, I had ultrasound last week to check, and he said it looks fine, nothing to worry about. 

Doc at review said the radiation had worked! But, they don't commit totally,  so I asked twice if cancer had gone, she said yes...twice  So, for me the ultrasound has confirmed that. 

I am eating 'properly ' for the last 3 weeks, can't always taste it and it's very dry,  but I'm getting there. I started back at worked last week on a phased return...that totally wiped me out! My mouth is now sore from the food I think, so got the Caphosol back out. I am on the max dose of gabapentin for the shingles nerve pain. I itch like crazy, especially during the night. But, I'm massively better than I was 2 months ago, I can yawn now  not a full hippo yawn, bit too sore for that but an open mouth one! The smallest thing makes me happy!

Man what a journey this has been, I think I am emerging through the other side now... I hope so anyway. There were many times when I couldn't see an end to it and even asked them to shoot me once or twice ( mostly due to shingles pain). I still have a long way to go, lymphoedema, eating, fatigue etc, but I guess this is the 'new normal' my oncologist kept on about. 

I hope everyone is doing OK.

Best wishes to all 

Linda