Unbelievable

Hi Anna you will be we all develop an inner strength in a self confessed wimp but when needdd to be I got through it. 
start downloading stuff to watch on your tablet make sure you’ve a long phone tablet charger ear buds are useful for listen g to stiff as well or wireless headphones 

Hazel xx

Hi Posi. My story sounds much like yours, except I'm still waiting for my PET scan. I was also treated for Bells Palsy then when I saw a consultant he told me very bluntly it was cancer. I am 64 and this was not on my radar at all. It just hits you out of the blue, doesn't it? Like you, I am gaining strength for those who have been through this. I truly hope we all get there in the end.

You will dig deep and uncover strengths you did not know you had - as will your family and true friends.  2022 is almost over and you've had the bad bits.  2023 will be your year of recovery and moving onto doing all those things that you have put off in the past, but now realise you should not delay doing.  Cancer has a few benefits - one of which is making us look at ourselves differently and seizing the moment with friends and family rather than dilly dallying waiting for another day.

2023 may seem like it will start grimly, but I bet it will be a good vintage year by the time autumn comes around.  Enjoy Christmas as best as you can.

Thanks Lyn, Just the sort of things I wanted to know and very helpful. How long should I do short walks for? I live on a hill but usually walk most days half an hour, maybe 10 minutes? Judging on your experience how long before I will feel up to a night away, or regain my stamina?

Thanks All for your messages and support. Its not been a great day with confusion over my appointment dates and not being able to get hold of my CNS nurse or other staff. I've Cancer admin is a full time job, I was trying to find a bit of me time in window before I start treatment, but no chance. 

I've now booked myself a pre op tomorrow so hopefully I will get biopsies under general anaesthetic done next week and main op early in New Year as planned.

I'm going to warn my husband he will be in charge of all housework after op, in fact he can start practicing now!

I'll try and take inspiration from all your strength.

Hi yes delegate m my hubby cooked cleaned shopped  drove me daily for my treatments a trip some days. 90 mins some days 35. Only thing  I didn’t let him loose with was the online banking! I it good to plan things in advance, I did some batch cooking so John would have things to warm up ready for when eating was hard for me  

Hazel x

Hi Posi

You can’t rush things after such a big op. It was 8 weeks before I was back on top of things. Initially for me it was really short walks, just to the letter box and back. Then I started to add on a bit as I started to feel better. With my first op I optimistically started to walk around the block which is normally a breeze. I got less than a quarter of the way and had to turn back. It’s just the lack of energy for a while but it definitely gets better over a few weeks. No problems walking as far as I want to now.

If you need radiotherapy it can take a while to bounce back from too. It was a good 3 months after treatment finished before I started to get back to normal.

Good idea to get your husband practicing the housework. I found it was an effort to hang things on the line and I initially could only manage one or two items before I was exhausted and the muscles in my back ached. Don’t know if it is a good thing but I can manage all the housework now but have got a bit lazy on it and spread it out over a few days. Terry is really good at doing the laundry now and still helps out. I think it was a good learning curve for him as he has never been very domesticated in spite of all my past efforts.

In relation to the cooking I got Terry to buy frozen meals from the supermarket  as he is no cook.  I’m back to cooking now but Terry got so used to having to manage his own that he often still does cook some basic meals.

I It was a bit of a wake up call for Terry as he had to get on top of quite a few skills that he had never worried about before so that was a good thing. He is wonderfully supportive and is happy to drive me to appointments and gives me heaps of moral support and encouragement.

It is hard emotionally for our partners and they need support too. In the end it comes down to teamwork.

Sending you best wishes for your biopsy.

Lyn

xxx

Hi Anna Mary

You must still be in shock if you only got your diagnosis on Friday. It is hard when you have been quite healthy and then you have a cancer diagnosis thrown at you. It takes a while to assimilate especially after recovering from such a serious illness.

If you feel comfortable to do so can you share a bit more about your cancer diagnosis. No worries if you don’t feel up to it.

Trust in your medical team as they will do their very best for you. If you need more info and support contact the Macmillan nurse. They are fantastic and so knowledgeable.

You will get great support from this forum as there is always someone here that has experienced something similar so understand what you are going through. 

Sending you hugs.

Lyn

xxx

In June I asked my dentist about a small painful area in my mouth. She's said before it was nothing to worry about but I was experiencing some numbness on that side. A follow up head xray was clear.  Then I got sepsis and was out of action until September. I saw the dentist again and she referred me to a maxo facial consultant. Since then I've had an MRI, ultra sound and 4 biopsies nose and neck, although I didn't think he'd been anywhere near my nose! All the bruising is under my chin. I then saw a very brusque consultant last week, who terrifed me with what he did and didn't say.  He did say it's bad and definitely cancer. Monday I had a CT scan of my neck and chest. Today I received a text from the hospital asking me to go on 4th Jan for a pre assessment? I'm told they want to do the PET scan with an anaesthetic. Is this a normal way to do it? I have a lump under my right jaw and a half numb face. I'm so worried.  No more information just yet. x

Hi Annaitwill be a pet Ct scan with an injection of a radioactive serum. I’ve had 2 of those they don’t do them under anaesthesia.They inject the serum then you lay still for around 40 min then they take you in for scan. It’ check s if there lymph node involvement and gives them a base to work from. Please try to stay calm there’s nothing further you can do until the 4 th. Is your pain being managed. 
Hazel xx

I am trying hard to stay calm. I'm not actually in any physical pain, except for a sore eye which won't shut. I have to tape it down to keep the eyelid closed. The emotional pain is the worst. An understanding GP saw me last night and gave me sleeping pills. The 4th isn't that far away but it can't come soon enough. You've really been through some gruelling treatment. I am in awe of how you and everyone else copes.