Firstly, I have to say I’m immensely grateful to my body and the wonderful NHS.
Some will have read my bio and the journey thus far. Unexpectedly they found cancer in a lymph node extracted back in November. This was confirmed by MRI, CT and PET scans as being in my right tonsil and base of tongue. Since then, despite 2 further major operations, there has been no sign of the cancer. No scoping has ever seen any signs. They even went back to the original lymph node to check if the cancer in that may have “escaped” and be elsewhere, but that was confirmed as negative this Tuesday. That means I don’t have to have radiotherapy and am now on watchful waiting for the next 5 years. I am very grateful I don’t have to have the radiotherapy “trauma”.
The cancer may still be there and “hiding”. A check PET in 3 months may show that. Or it may have burnt itself out. I am advised that there is a good chance that it will return.
So, at the moment it is good news. However, I feel slightly cheated as I am left in limbo. I am a person who always plans for “certainty” and risk and I am finding this uncertainly quite difficult to manage. I’m sure there are a few in this situation. Has anybody got and tips on how they deal with this as I’m not going to let this dominate my life, but at the same time I’m not going to let it sneak up unbeknown and get me!
Crikey, don’t feel cheated! That’s brilliant news! We are all still in this five year limbo even after radiotherapy. It’s no different except we have suffered the treatment and it’s severe life changing consequences. Try not to live your life in parcels of ever increasing agitation as each appointment rolls up. In the early days every niggle is cancer but as it’s hopefully proved to not be it gets better. I just try to put these appointments on the back burner. I’m still at the doctor more than I used to be and I do take more care of my general health than I used to. Have a read of this excellent article by Dr Peter Harvey. What happens after treatment. www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/.../After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
