Hello brave people

Hello Marta and welcome. Sorry you're here but now you are stick around., There is masses of help and support here. I had base of tongue cancer in 2018 and "got away" with "just" radiotherapy. There are a few folk here who have had DaVinci and a few at the Marsden.

Your thread title made me smile. It's what friends and family say about us but we are not you, know. We get on with it because we have no choice. Our surgeons, oncologists and radiographers are all skilled and largely we make a good recovery.

It's not an easy treatment but it's doable if you take it day by day. In fact don't be brave....tell your team every day how you feel, keep getting some sort of food down you, take your painkillers and pretty soon you are out in the sunshine.

I had six weeks RT and by the middle of the 4th week I had a Nasogastric tube placed as I couldn't swallow but by 6 weeks after treatment finished I was eating solid food. I lost little weight and recovered quickly. I was 67 when I started, a good  deal older than you so you should do even better.

Best wishes 

Hi, Marta, welcome to our group, you have come to a good place to get lots of help,  or just vent off steam if you need to. The radiotherpy and chemo are not easy but they are doable, lots of us on here have done it, and so will you, if you have any worries just ask on here someone will always come back with an answer if they can. Always keep your team up to date on how you are feeling, and any side effects you are getting, so they can give you the medication you need as you go along. Keep us up to date. All the best .

Regards Ray.

Hi Dani,

thanks  i was reading about your journey. I have feeling i know you all, hahaha as my story is more shocking.

i had lymph node swollen after New Year, went to see GP and she was telling be all good etc. Just infection. After few weeks, as i am aware of my body, I wasn’t convinced and done ultrasound and blood test privately. All was ok, but radiologist said if lump doesn’t go done, biopsy must. In the mean time, got covid, we moved house and just before Easter i’ve done biopsy privately. 
My results were “sitting” for 4 days at GP and even we called them, and private hospital said, results are there 6 days ago, we couldn’t get them. Thanks God on my hubby, who said at the end will call police (as receptionist said they will delete my result), as we don’t know where my results are. After that, i hot an email and thats how i find i got metastatic lymph node, primary neck and head. 
So, it was very stressful time, but with faith and blessing amazing team i have, determined surgeon, after MRI, PET scan which still didn’t show my prime, after the biopsy we finally found out

i said brave, as I don’t pretend to my family and friends, and as you said - we don’t have a choice, but for me all people who are having cancer, are brave to deal with it..,

i know will be tough, but i am ready to fight scared, but ready 

thanks a lot as you  are inspiring

Hi Ray,

thanks again. 
did you had radiotherapy and chemo?

i will have “just” twice, chemo…

not sure what to expect as we are all different and somehow, i know aide effects, but don’t want to overthink.

Rather, deal on the way?!  Not sure thats ok… hahaha

will have questions, i am sure, but now i am trying to have some fun time with my family (happy mum of 4 years old daughter, and 13 years old teen boy), until next Friday when i am having dental.

My treatment is on 8th June.

It will be Jungle journey

thank you again x

Yes I had 30 radiotherapy sessions, and 5 out of 6 chemo.

Regards Ray.

Good grief Marta! That is an horrendous story. You should do something about it when you’re out of the woods. Time to concentrate on yourself for now. 
Im very angry on your behalf…. If you don’t mind. 

Hi Marta. I’m Hazel almost 4 years post radiotherapy for tonsil cancer with several affected lymph nodes. i too had chemo cisplatin and 35 radiotherapy sessions. It’s hard but I did it. My blog below might help you I was 61 when diagnosed now 65 happily living my my life .any questions lease ask   Are you HPV positive do you know ?

Hazel x

Hi Hazel,

i read your story too, and feeling i know you…

how was with chemo? You had 2?

thanks   

Yes, i know how messed up it was… my husband deal with it all, he was nice, but got to the point! 

i am lucky to get all done trough private insurance, even afterwards GP tried do all right, but just don’t have any confidence in them anymore

x

Hi Marta. Cancer treatment in the nhs once you’re there is exemplary. It’s getting there that can be problematic. The Marsden  is  world leading.