Hello

I Baked Brian I’m Hazel also known as radioactive raz and fast approaching five years post treatment for tonsil  cancer with several affected lymph nodes. welcome to the club that no one really wants to join but here you are positive mental attitude got me through my blog is detail below that may give you some encouragement, if it  helps I’m down in Spain st the moment.  riding my bike happily living in my life. There’s a good life to be had  at the end of it all and we’ll get there in different ways. Treatment can be brutal recovery can be  long  HPV driven tumours  respond excellently to treatment. 
Any questions just ask one of us will always get back to you nothings too  silly just ask away
Hazel 

Hi BakedBrian, You're half way there now, it's not easy, but it is doable, many of us on here have done it and are here to tell the tale, and  here to help anyone who needs it. You will  be at the end of treatment and into your recovery, before you know it. Any questions or worries, just ask on here, someone will always help if they can. Also let your team know if anything is worrying you. All the best.

Regards Ray. 

Thanks Hazel! I truly appreciate it. I have three more weeks. How much worse does it get?  What did you do to motivate yourself to eat and drink when everything tastes like nothing?  

Thanks!

Brian

Hi Brian. So you’re half baked just now ?

Welcome to the Community

I can tell you that my pain ramped up significantly in week three but seemed to plateau by the end of week four. I had got my analgesia well organised and was in top of everything. I just put my head down and got on with it. My last week was a real challenge mentally. I had spent the first five acutely aware of what was happening round me at hospital and usually had a joke or two to share with the team and fellow victims in the waiting room. I spent treatment time with my eyes swivelling around watching the gantry and the beam collimator changing shape. By the last week I’d just had enough. I was tired and worn out with it all so when it was finished I went home and slept. 
But, you know it’s all a distant memory now and like childbirth the pain has gone and something good has come if it  I wouldn’t like to do it again, though. I’m good enough, thanks. 

Sometimes when  I update the blog  I have  a quick look at those early days and it’s like somebody else did it all. 
We get through into the sunshine in the end. It’s just a bit of a bugger wading through the treacle. 
Stick with us. There’s lots of help and advice here 

Thanks Ray!  Truly appreciate your response. I am feeling anxiety about how much worse the last three weeks are. And getting enough nutrition down. Trying like hell to avoid the feeding tube. 

Thanks

Brian

BakedBrian said:

Trying like hell to avoid the feeding tube. 

I didn’t bother, Brian. I needed to keep as well as I could. I had nothing to prove. Fortisips and pain meds went down the NG tube. When I was finished with that food tasted rubbish but it was fuel so anything I could swallow went down. 

Hi Dani  has explained so won’t add to her reply. But please don’t fight the feeding tube it was fir me and her a lifesaver. I credit the ng tube to aiding my recovery being fairly quick. I flew to spain 8 weeks afterwards ti celebrate my hubby’s 60th. What the n g tube did was take away the stress and worry by end if week 3 I coujd hardly swallow water never mind food and medication. I had it removed week 3 into  recovery. But be aware food for many of us took a good  6 month to enjoy if not longer the mantra food is fuel and eat to live not live to eat got me through it. You’ll get there but it’s pretty brutal but it has to be ti kill the cancer  and give us a chance of living ! So don’t fight the n g tube if you need it have it. 
Kerp on top of pain medication and oral hygiene we can get oral thrush in the last few weeks as well. 
Hazel 

Thanks so much Dani. I am one who is quick with a joke as well, but not lately. I go in for radiation and they cheerfully say, “How are you today?”  I know they are trying to be nice and encouraging, but I just want to say “I have cancer and I am going thru a brutal treatment.  How do you think I am today??”  But I don’t. I feel my life to this point has been a fortunate one, and I am trying very hard to see that damned glass half full. 

Appreciate you reaching out. I means a lot. 

Brian

Don't avoid anything that can bring you back to health. You need food as fuel during and after treatment, albeit an NG tube, RIG or a PEG, any of these will let you get the nourishment and meds that you need, to recover.

Ray.

What can you tell me about the feeding tube? How difficult to put in?  How difficult to maintain and keep clean? is it easy to use?  How often per day?  How mobile were you when it was in?  Any initial pain or discomfort? 

sorry. This one has been on my mind for a bit. 

Brian