Aches and pains.

Hi Connor - I'd echo all the great feedback you've already received. I know how you're feeling.  I finished my treatment last August and I recall around wk4/5 I started planning my first trip for after I'd recovered. So I booked a 3-night stay for 'Twixmas by the seaside for the family to have something to look forward to! It helps. By December I was eating almost normally again and enjoying the odd glass of bubbles

I found that my personality lends itself well to compartmentalising and learnt how strong and stubborn I am during my treatment/recovery LOL! I put my head down and grafted - literally treated it like a job/chore from week 4 (of 6 RT) and for a couple of months afterwards. Literally only saw food as fuel - which was hard for me as i love my food! I mentally prepared myself and set low expectations to ensure that I usually over-achieved on very low goals. It is a real bore, but taking it a day at a time is the way forward. During your recovery we'll be coming into spring which is a bonus!

Today i had my 6-week check up with my oncologist - all well - and I'm back at work almost fulltime. I've got a holiday booked to Ibiza end of May and I'm going away for a long weekend early May and white water rafting in a freezing cold river in N-Wales LOL!

Keep your chin up, you'll get through it and be a stronger person for it! Have your down days, wallow a bit if you need to, then pick yourself back up and get on the treadmill. You will do it!

Helen xx

Wow honestly that was such a detailed and helpful post, I’m sorta at that stage now where I’m getting into a routine with drinking shakes and pain relief, I understand that for a while my quality life won’t be the best but in the long term things will be much better, can’t express how excited i am to just be able to enjoy a nice meal! 
your story has inspired me and shown me that there is s light at the end of the tunnel regardless of how rough this journey had been on me thank you 

and I hope you continue being cancer free your kind words won’t be forgotten xx

I'm so glad my words have helped  You'll always find support, advice and tips here! Whenever you need to rant, just do it, because it definitely helps and so many of us have been there!

I had my RIG fitted beginning wk3 (due to lack of beds/ staff holidays ...) and I didn't much like the idea to be honest. But by the end of wk4 I was eating less due to a sore throat & mouth and zero appetite (the 2nd chemo on day 21 left me with nausea for a couple of weeks, disgusting).

In wk5 I switched to Fortifips via the RIG, which took the stress out of eating! I used the RIG for 3 wks into recovery and it was a blessing. But I continued to take meds and water orally so that I didn't lose my swallow - and my oncologist/ dietitian/ nurse/ nutritionist all said that this helped me recover quicker and start eating orally again so quickly. I'm stubborn and this characteristic helped! So if you do have a tube, try to also sip water if you can, to keep those muscles working.

I got more anti-sickness meds and eventually the nausea just went. By wk6 I focused on counting down the days. My first 2 wks in recovery I basically stayed in the bedroom and my "job" became getting shakes into the feeding tube, drinking water, taking meds by the clock (set your alarm to take them through the night as you'll be off work anyway so can cope with waking). I listened to podcasts, read, did some online shopping, booked a seaside break, spent time catching up on this forum swapping horror stories and breakthroughs  ... I occasionally went downstairs to top up on water and for a change of scenery. Aim low for 3 weeks and you won't be disappointed!

One day at a time and you'll be okay. By the summer you'll be through the worst of it and turning corners. You're young, so your body will repair itself quicker. I'm 51 now (50 when I had treatment) so still relatively young, and this factor along with a positive mental attitude (and sheer bloody-mindedness ) made a difference!

Helen xx