Update - Tonsil cancer- 1st Anniversary

Hi Everyone, 

Just bobbing in  to say hello as I've not been here for a while. 

It will be 1 year tomorrow I went to docs with a lump and my journey began. It's been a rollercoaster ride, that's for sure.  But, I'm still here  Treatment ended Dec 2022. Numerous scans showing it has gone now 

Apart from that first swift referral,  my GP practice have been worse than useless, so I have had to be resilient...I live alone so have had to chase them myself, no matter how rubbish I felt. I tend not to bother unless I really have to. My pharmacist is brilliant. 

I got shingles on top of my radiation site,  and the right side of my head and neck. I have lymphoedema in my throat,  so I don't really know what pain comes from where???. I was eating well for a while, and now I'm not. That changes regularly.  It gets stuck, so its small bites.  I can live with that though, it's a massive improvement from  before and I'm sure it will get better. I get thick saliva now...gross! I'm sure that doesn't help with the swallowing. I'm off morphine but high dose of Gabapentin for the shingles nerve pain. But, apart from my pre cancer meds,  that's about it.

I started back to work on a phased return at the beginning of June. I increased to 6 hours last week. Its tiring, but I get Wiltshire Farm Foods,  so I don't have to cook yet. Taste buds come and go, again massive improvement. Work have been amazing and are letting me go at my own pace with hours and workload.

I am a new person . I suffered with social anxiety. I now have joined 2 social groups,  and am going out fairly often with people that were strangers! I have booked a solo holiday for October...eek! I've bought new clothes and thrown out loads of 'things'. I have no interest in 'things' anymore,  even if I kept them for sentimental reasons forever! I don't want new things in the house,  unless it is functional. (I was a bit of a hoarder). I have even walked into my local pub on my own ... something I have never done in my life, even if meeting friends inside. I now even sleep on my opposite side, watch completely different programs on TV. Its like aliens snatched me and put the wrong person back  I went to hairdressers last week after not going for around 40 years and got scalped...mainly because of the shingles nerve pain when my hair touched my ear and neck.

I'm by no means back to full health,  maybe never will be. But, my life has improved in so many other ways since being diagnosed. Happy days!!! 

Take care everyone ️ xxx