4 Years today

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Sorry, not posted here for a while.

9/7/2018 was my 1st night in hospital for 40+ years.

Up early the next morning for the 1st of about 4 operations over the following months to remove half my lower jaw and replace with a bone from my leg

33 radiotherapy sessions, 2 chemo sessions, 3 or 4 more hospital stays, 10 months on a feeding PEG then given the all clear in 2019

Hospital appointments down to 3 a year now and only one more year to go until on the official stats of survived 5 years Slight smile

Still have a bit of discomfort around neck, just below bottom lip and have a puffy bottom lip, but all in all can't complain.

Going to fish out my old red hospital socks soon, will be wearing them in bed tonight. and remembering the similar heatwave we had back then - but 1st I will be opening a bottle of larger and having a drink to all who helped me at UHCW in Coventry.

  • Hi Terry. Really lovely to hear from you. Wonderful to have you back to reassure all the newbies how well we can be even after major surgery. 
    I remember the heatwave too. I’m a beekeeper and we had a huge crop because of the weather. Then in early August I found my cancer. 
    No red socks but I’ll raise a glass of ale with you. 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    Macmillan Support Line -  0808 808 00 00 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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  • Hi Terry. I’m  7 days behind you my treatment started 16 July. Great to hear from you. One life let’s live it. 
    It’s good  the new ones like Dani says ti know there’s light at the end of the tunnel. 
    onwards and upwards I’ve 2 ent appoints then the big 5 years. 
    Hazel x

    Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz 35 radiotherapy and 2 chemo  3 rd cancelled. HPV tonsil cancer 7 lymph nodes. 8 years post treatment living a great life. 
    No questions too daft to ask. 

    I’m also an ambassador for https://oraclehnc.org.uk/
    A leading head and neck cancer charity. 

    This is a link to a webinar i did with Oracle explaining the process of diagnosis. 

  • Hi Terry it's really good to read posts like this, it is a real help for those who are just starting out. It's  good to mark these milestones, I am 5 years post treatment this November. Enjoy your lager. All the best from a Coventry kid.

    Regards Ray.

  • Thanks all

    I had a better sleep last night than 4 years ago.

    I remember having to stay awake to drink a pr-eop drink every hour for 6 hours, then just as I got to sleep being woken up by a nurse to take my vitals (something you soon get used to)

    I must try and post here more.

    Made it to Christmas, made it to my birthday, had a nice summer, made it to my 2nd (and 3rd) (7th) Christmas. Wrote a blog about my treatment - https://wumc.co.uk/april-2018-you-have-cancer/