Other How I'm dealing with Throat Cancer

I mentioned in the ‘What’s ruining your life’ thread that I’d start a new thread but got distracted by other things. However here it is. I’ll update in the same post as time goes by.

I have throat cancer, specifically Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the right Pyriform. Following a private consultation 17 April 2023 with an ENT Consultant (because none of the 3 GPs I saw took my condition or the pain seriously) I was fast tracked into the NHS system by the consultant that evening (one of the GPs I saw has already rewritten her notes to indicate that she actually did something other than prescribe antibiotics, imply I was wasting her time and refer me to the ENT clinic which had a 53 week waiting list). A biopsy 3 weeks later (4 May) confirmed the type of cancer and the following week a PET Scan (radioactive substance injected) similar to a CT Scan but more detailed used to check whether it's spread.

I saw my Oncologist 5 June who confirmed it hasn't spread and that the Radiotherapy will start in 3 weeks and consist of 30 sessions over 6 weeks (5 days on, 2 days off) with a weekly Chemotherapy session as well.

I'd already been introduced to my Clinical Nurse Specialist who will be with me/us through the whole process for advice and support (for both me and Ann, my wife) who was there plus a dietician and I'll be seeing a Speech and Language Therapist on Thursday. I'd already seen the Dental Team who will now be responsible for any major dental surgery for the rest of my life. Dental treatment is important as the Radiotherapy, despite being targeted, will kill or damage my saliva glands which help protect the teeth. Fortunately I've been told my teeth are in good condition for the treatment. At some point I'll be prescribed a toothpaste high in fluoride for additional protection.

In the next week or so I'll be having a mask made to hold my head in position so I can't move when the Radiotherapy is working and a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube inserted in my stomach for feeding and medication purposes. Due to the pain in my throat I haven't eaten solid food since early April.

I'm going to have problems with the painkilling medication as the morphine drink is having little more than a minor effect so they're trying to find an alternative. I've been taking codeine phosphate (metabolises into morphine) for a severe form of IBS-D for 23 years and it's probably that my body has got used to it. It's likely that a couple of weeks after the Radiotherapy has started I'll be unable to swallow properly and that will last 2-3 weeks after the sessions end. I'm going to feel like **** for a while but I want to live.

Help and care and speed of appointments is mostly exemplary from everyone. I don't know whether the staff involved in cancer treatment are handpicked but that's the impression you get.

Update 17 July 2023

Finally got my pain relief sorted but it took 3 months and an appointment with a Palliative Consultant last week to get prescribed the right medication. She accepted my experience and conclusion that 23 years of codeine phosphate meant that morphine no longer works for me as a pain killer and that it’s unlikely anything from the Opioid family would help except possibly in massive doses (which I don’t want). Instead she went left field and prescribed Pregabalin which among other things treats nerve pain. Also she has allowed me to experiment with the dosage up to a certain point and more than that with their agreement. I also have an open appointment so I can go and book to see her whenever she’s free. After 4 days and increasing the dosage by 25% the pain in my throat has reduced massively and I can actually sleep now rather than doze for 10 minutes at a time throughout the day.

Getting a bit ahead of myself but the pain relief has meant a big change in my attitude. The pain is going to get a lot, lot worse though. As the Radiotherapy increases I will get very bad radiation burns both inside and outside my throat and the possibility of lots of mouth ulcers. I’m using a skin moisturiser 4 times a day to ease the radiation burn and calcium phosphate mouthwash up to 8 times a day to reduce the risk of the ulcers.

I’ve started Radiotherapy and after 8 sessions have got used to the procedure, get my kit off, lie on the ‘bed’, get the tightly fitting mask on (which is really tight across my head and throat, I can't even open my eyes). I then have about 5 minutes lying still while the Radiologists confirm I’m in the correct position followed by 2 minutes of Radiotherapy ‘cooking’. I don’t actually feel the Radiotherapy at all. Another 22 sessions to go.

My Chemotherapy has been delayed due to my IBS as they’re not sure that my bile absorption is sufficient for the treatment. I have no idea what that means and they’re trying to get either an emergency appointment with the Gastroenterologist or confirmation from him that I’m OK to go. I’ve told them let’s just go ahead for a session and see what happens, at worst I’ll be a bit more ill than I am already.

The star person at the moment is 'Kas' my Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) who’s gone above and beyond with help. Any problem I’ve had I’ve asked him and he’s got it done or referred me to the person who can get it done.

Why have I had to ask him for things outside his speciality though? Well, the Clinical Nurse Specialist, supposedly my main contact through all of this has been elusive to contact, she and her team don’t answer the phone, have email permanently switched to out of office and don’t monitor the alternative email address. The one time I managed to get hold of her she passed the buck and didn’t bother following it up. Despite me requesting liquid meals for some time it took the SALT to get the Dietician to help. She's got a professional attitude but a don't give a sh** empathy.

It took 3 months for my pain relief to be sorted and an appointment with the Palliative Team was only actioned after the SALT, the Gastroenterologist and a GP wrote to the Team expressing concern about my pain levels.

My Dentist has been very unhelpful and will be changed after all this is over. I need high fluoride toothpaste prescribing as my saliva glands will be permanently destroyed by the Radiotherapy. He said he won’t prescribe the toothpaste until he’s seen me, earliest appointment being late September. My treatment and saliva glands will be finished by mid August. Bstd. I found I could order it online at £14 for a 50g tube but the Palliative Team can prescribe anything so they've done that.

I would be struggling to stay on top of things if it wasn’t for Ann. She goes to every meeting, takes most of the phone calls and records everything that’s said knowing I’d forget most of it if I was there by myself. She’s keeping a diary of everything in an A5 notebook that’s currently at 48 pages. I don’t know how people on their own cope with all this. I’ve just counted them and we’ve had 22 appointments since early May, most of them in June and not counting the Radiotherapy sessions.

PS I don’t like my feeding tube just dangling there but I expect to need it quite soon. I’m not sure whether to post a photo. It’s not gruesome or anything but it is a bit off-putting.

Update - 20 July 2023, 12th Radiotherapy session with 18 to go. A couple of images the Radiotherapy nurses took of me today, Mask fitted and strapped in and ready for cooking:





Update - 21 July 2023

Well, the Chemotherapy started but they forgot to tell me. Apparently it was supposed to start at 8am. I got a call at 11am saying where are you? Apparently this was arranged on Wednesday, they sent an appointment letter but didn't follow it up with a phone call. Letters from the Hospital can take up to 12 days to arrive here and they know this. So far 3 letters never turned up at all.

Things then started to go wrong when I got here. They knew that I had an appointment but apparently no idea what the treatment was to be given (Cisplatin). I was waiting from just after midday to 5pm while they found out and they got the right dosage of the Cisplatin based on my height and weight. They initially said they were going to keep me in overnight and do the treatment tomorrow until I said if that's the case I'm going home now. Everything speeded up after that.

I am now connected to a pump delivering a saline drip which will be followed by 2 hours of the chemo pumped in then another couple of hours with more saline to clear my system. Assuming I feel OK I should be able to leave around 10pm to midnight.

They also speeded up the process after realising I'd had a blood test earlier in the week which saved at least 2 hours. They started with a 500ml saline drip, followed by 1000ml of Cisplatin, then another 500ml saline drip, all of this through a pump. During this I drank about a litre and a half of water but still couldn't pee at the end of it. I had to wait another 30 minutes to produce the 1 litre they will accept before allowing me to go home. I was home by 8:30pm which wasn't too bad.

They gave me anti-nausea drugs before the treatment and I just felt normal (for me) through the process, the Cisplatin felt the same as the saline. I still haven't had any side effects although Ann said I was yellow initially but that's faded with the fluid intake.

22 July 2023 - Had a dose of Dexamethasone this morning and no side effects from that yet. It's supposed to stop nausea and vomiting but I've felt OK but don't want to risk not taking it even though that also bu**ers up the immune system.

I've been given a 'Chemo Red Passport' that I can produce in A&E for priority treatment as it says I have to start antibiotics within 60 minutes of an infection starting. From experience I know that A&E here is terrible so if I do have a problem I'll go back to the Ward first. I would have thought it better to issue the antibiotics in advance so I could phone the Ward if I have a problem for them to give permission to take them. It's the system I have with my emergency antibiotics for COPD. It's possible though the antibiotics have a short shelf life and I'll ask them next week as my immune system will be affected to roughly the middle of October. I have another 3 Chemo sessions to go (I've missed 2).

Update 25 July 2023 - The pain has kicked in again. It feels like the internal radiation burns and blistering I was warned about has hit right about when they said it would i.e. around halfway during the Radiotherapy sessions. Palliative Nurse came round yesterday and my Pregabalin dosage has gone to 150mg twice a day.

I put in a repeat prescription for this last week and now Boots Pharmacy have failed in a big way. Because increasing the dosage means I'll run out of the Pregabalin by Wednesday the Nurse suggested I phone Boots to find out if the prescription is ready as they normally send a text within a couple of days. It turns out that not only is it not ready they can't get hold of stock until August. When I asked at what point they were going to notify me about this as I'm reliant on the pain relief there was no answer other than a stammering noise on the other end of the phone.

Nurse was great again and phoned a Chemist who she was certain would have stock, reserved a large bottle for Ann to collect today, got the surgery to amend my prescription for the increased amount and dosage then duplicated the repeat prescription so I could order another earlier if I need to.

I use the Airmid App for repeat prescriptions (and also to check my medical record regularly) so switched my nominated Pharmacy from Boots to the new Chemist who happens to be just as convenient to get to with weekend opening and longer hours.

Update 28 July 2023 - Back in the Elizabeth Loury Ward for another Chemo session. I got here on time but they're still doing the breakfast and medication round. It also turns out I have to wait until a bed becomes available even though I don't need one and anywhere will do for me.

I got a call from my Dentist's receptionist telling me a prescription for a couple of tubes of the Duraphat toothpaste is ready. This is after the Dental Assessment Team at the Hospital wrote to them again after they refused to issue a prescription unless I'd been seen by the Dentist. The Dental Team did point out in the letter they are actually qualified Dentists but can't prescribe. Receptionist told me that the prescription charge was £30 (bear in mind I can order it online for £28) even though it should have been prescribed 3 weeks ago. Ann's going to phone them today pointing out their failings and telling them I'm not going to pay. I'll follow that up with an online view of what I think of them (voice has just about gone for the moment).

Pain level in my throat is very high now and I'm having to use the feeding tube for my liquid meals and hydration. It feels like the skin has gone internally and my throat is raw. I've increased the Pregabalin dosage to the maximum now after consultation with the Palliative Team and this has got rid of the throbbing pain so it's only swallowing that's really painful.

The feeding tube (PEG) is uncomfortable and generates low level pain although I've quickly got used to it. It's a 4mm OD tube and probably 3mm ID, a lot narrower than I expected. It's surgically implanted in a quick operation and has a retainer inside my stomach to stop it coming out.

The wound doesn't heal and to make sure I have to rotate the tube daily when cleaning and flushing it. The sterile wash is enough to lubricate the tube so it's painless when rotating. It can be noisy as I occasionally hear a thud as Ann hits the floor if she inadvertently sees me doing it.

Apparently if the tube does become detached it only takes around 2 - 4 hours for the hole to heal.

Ann's just messaged me to let me know I've received a letter for a routine ENT appointment on 5 December. This is the appointment the GP requested just before Easter. So I was wrong, it's not 53 weeks waiting time it's only 35 weeks. Just as well it wasn't anything serious then.

It's 13:30 and Nurse has just told me that situation is critical with no Doctors available. They've done my bloods again, probably as a delaying tactic to make me think something will happen. It will be 15:00 at the earliest before the results are back. Assuming a Doctor was found it would then be at least another 2 hours before they could get the Cisplatin and then at least 3 hours before the procedure would be finished. The Nurse hinted that she didn't think I'd get Chemo today.

Looking like a wasted day, feel a bit down at the moment but it's probably because I'm very tired. I've been up since 04:00 and here since 08:10 and need some sleep.

I think this is the last Chemo session I'll attend. The told me that they would keep me in overnight again so I started packing to leave. They then told me they could now do it but this was around 3:00 and they actually started just before 6pm. They had to get my Oncologists Registrar to attend as no other Doctors were available.

By this time I'd had my Radiotherapy. The whole point of this is to have the Chemo before the Radiotherapy as it sensitises the cells. Having it after is pretty pointless although it makes me feel OK for about 24 hours (which is apparently normal). I'll speak to my Oncologist before I finally decide but he'll have to be persuasive. Getting up a 4am, getting to the hospital at just after 8am and leaving after 8:30pm is a very long day for me now. The fatigue from the Radiotherapy kicked in last week and I'm dozing all hours of the day I can.

Update 3 August 2023 - I've decided not to go back to the Ward for Chemotherapy tomorrow. There's no point if they delay and delay to the point where I have to get my Radiotherapy done first. I've been going to Radiotherapy long enough to know that whenever someone comes from Chemo they're immediately and always bumped to the front of the queue for their treatment due to it being necessary to treat the cells when they've been sensitised. In my case I'm having to wait 3 further days for this to happen and it's pointless putting me under stress to get there early and fatiguing to have a long day waiting for the Chemo. The only benefit I'm getting from Chemo is around 24 hours of being pain free.

I made a courtesy call to the Ward today and spoke to the Chemo Nurse and her Manager to let them know I wouldn't be there tomorrow. They're not happy, possibly because it might make them look bad as I put all this in writing to my Oncologist on Monday. He hasn't got back to me on that or the answerphone message I left on the same day and the email one of the Radiology Managers sent to him on Tuesday (he could be on leave). I feel let down.

Today was Radiotherapy session 22 with another 8 to go. I've been lucky with side effects so far, although I have the internal radiation burns and get a fair bit of pain swallowing the Pregabalin pain relief blocks out most of the throbbing pain.

No sign of external radiation burns yet so the 'MooGoo' Moisturiser I'm using has done a great job in protecting my external skin. I'm also using the MooGoo soap as that and any moisturiser I use has to be free from Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS). Apparently my skin will be at its worst around 2 weeks after treatment ends. Also I was told before the treatment started that I can't wet shave until a few weeks after the treatment ends so I bought a Philips 3000 wet and dry rotary 3 head shaver which is excellent. It gives me a close shave without damaging my skin and I simply rinse it out under a tap and let it air dry. Battery life is over 3 weeks.

I'm coughing up immense amounts of mucous which is apparently due to the skin in my throat trying to heal but not succeeding because it's getting a daily blast of Radiotherapy as well as due to my throat being wet. So far I haven't completely lost my saliva glands although they may go after Radiotherapy finishes as I continue to 'cook' but it's looking promising.

The A5 diary Ann is keeping of meetings, notes, treatments and side effects is now at page 63

Update 10 August 2023 - Oh noes, the worst side effect ever, no one told me this might happen, it's devastating, Ann has never seen me like this, I am naked!

I've had a beard since 1993 and have never shaved it off since then. I met Ann in 1995 so she has only ever seen me with a beard, latterly a shaped goatee. The Radiotherapy has disappeared my beard, apparently it's gone forever. I thought it was looking a bit sparse for the last few days but today most of it disappeared. It's not affected my moustache so I'm going retro with a Zapata, that'll show 'em... goes away for a little cry, the only one since this started.

Other minor side effects are the internal radiation burns are really painful now and the external burn started a couple of days ago but so far my skin is intact. I'm coughing up immense amounts of mucous. Fatigue is getting worse and I'm dozing a lot more.

Only 4 more Radiotherapy sessions to go. The last one is next Tuesday and I get to ring the bell in Radiotherapy Reception. After that apparently the radiation burns will continue to get a lot worse and more painful for another couple of weeks then over the next month I should start to heal.

Just contacted the Palliative Team who've agreed I can up my Pregabalin dosage a notch or 2. A brief mention of my Palliative Consultant, Dr Foo; she's my favourite. We keep bumping into each other in the Wards or Oncology and she always has time for a chat.

Update 15 August 2023 - Just had my last Radiotherapy session and the Radiologists gave me a Certificate to say I've done all of my sessions. I got to ring the bell in Reception but because all the machines were working for once there were only 4 people there including the receptionist to clap (usually there's 10-20 people waiting) but it felt good anyway.

I've got the mask I've worn for every session as Ann wanted it and is thinking of mounting it in the hallway with an LED multi-coloured light behind it. Some people apparently use them as planters or give them to their kids to paint.

Now it's a question of going through 2 or more weeks of more pain and discomfort as I continue to 'cook' followed by 2-4 weeks recovery time when my throat inside and out will hopefully be back to normal and I can eat normally again. I think my taste buds have been damaged as things doesn't taste the same anymore and I don't know if they'll return to normal, probably not though. I was told I'd lose my saliva glands but so far they still work but less effectively. Again I don't know if I'll lose them over the next couple of weeks. I have been using the high fluoride toothpaste 3 times a day every day for 6 weeks so hopefully that's done some good.

Ann's diary is now up to page 69 but there'll be fewer entries from now. I'll see my Oncologist in a couple of months and my ENT Consultant within 6 months. I'm hoping to get my feeding tube removed fairly quickly after I can eat normally again but someone has told me it could be months or possibly a year. They treat the insertion as a priority but removal as routine. I've researched this a bit and if it's going to be a long time I'll ask for some dressings and tell them I'll do the 'cut and drop' method myself to save them hassle

Just counted, since the 17 April I've had 81 appointments including Radiotherapy, blood tests, scans and miscellaneous one-offs. Ann has been to around 35 of them. It's been a busy time for both of us.

Update 27 August 2023 – So far things are progressing pretty much as I was told. The pain in my throat from the radiation burns has got worse and I’m having more difficulty swallowing. I contacted the palliative Nurse to find out if there were any non-opioid pain relief I could try but she struggled to find anything. A Macmillan nurse suggested Oxetacaine but it turn out that’s not available anymore.

A palliative Consultant came up with Lidocaine in spray form but the first bottle delivered by the Pharmacy was ‘Stud 100’ which ‘…is a local anaesthetic used to reduce the sensitivity of the penis before sex...to delay ejaculation.’ probably not the best thing to try. The pharmacy was proactive and found out what was probably intended was a Lidocaine spray used in minor throat surgery and for gastroscopies. This numbs nearly all my throat and tongue completely for around an hour making in impossible to swallow but unfortunately doesn’t reduce the pain so it looks like I’ll have to put up with it for another week or two.

The external radiation burns are healing very well and haven’t needed the special dressings and should be fully healed within another week.

It turns out the radiotherapy didn’t remove all my whiskers. Most are gone from my neck and chin apart from a small patch on one side of my chin and a bit underneath on my neck. I now have to shave every day whether I want to or not as stubble on just a small area really stands out, bu***r

Update 25 September 2023 - Getting close to finishing the thread. It's just over 6 weeks since my treatment finished. I'm now eating normally, no longer taking any pain relief and all the pain has gone. I think there's still a bit of scarring from the Radiotherapy in my throat but that seems to be getting better almost daily.

I had my final review with the Dietician and Speech Therapist today and then an appointment with my Oncologist who seemed a bit surprised at the speed of my progress. He's arranging a PET (radioactive) scan for early November to confirm I'm in remission. He also agreed that I can get my feeding tube removed which the Dietician will arrange although I doubt it'll be given any priority.

After that it'll be regular checks for the next 5 years and hopefully this is the end of it.

Update 6 November 2023 - I had my PEG (feeding tube) removed today. The process took less than 5 minutes and even with a tube/camera down my throat I experienced minimum discomfort. The hole is supposed to heal within a few hours and I change the dressing tomorrow evening so I'll know if everything is OK by then.

Last week I was booked for a PET Scan but whoever organised the appointment miscalculated the length of time between the end of Radiotherapy and the scan. It was supposed to be 3 months after the end of treatment but was arranged for 2 months and 23 days after. Despite my preparation they refused to do it and another appointment has been made for a couple of weeks time.

Surprising, good (for me) and weird news. Despite what I was told my whiskers are growing back but only on my chin at the moment, my neck is still bald. The weird part is that before it disappeared it was completely grey as was my hair. All the new whiskers though are black (or very dark brown) so I have a dark strip running through my goatee. I also hadn't realised that a strip of my hair on the back of my head had been 'wiped' and that's also grown back in black.

Update 13 November 2023 - Just back from my PET Scan. I was in and out in 90 minutes and 60 minutes of that was waiting for the radioactive substance to spread through my body. Results should be available within a week and I'm hoping I'll be able to see it in the NHS/Airmid App without having to wait until I see my ENT Consultant 5 December.

Update 5 December 2023 - I had the appointment one of the incompetent GPs booked for me back in March with the ENT Department. This was one of the 3 GPs who thought it was a throat infection, despite it lasting over 6 months so she booked a routine appointment with ENT.

I didn't want to cancel it in case they overlooked the fact my treatment technically hasn't finished. It turns out that for some reason (incompetence is my guess) the GP had specified the 'Ear' part of the ENT Department so I saw a young consultant who'd probably read my notes a few minutes before he saw me and realised there was a bit more to the appointment than he'd anticipated as he immediately apologised and said he'd arrange an appointment with my original Consultant within a couple of weeks.

He told me the results of my PET Scan shows no signs of cancer with none of the bright areas that were visible in my throat on the original scan. He decided to do a quick endoscopy and took a photo which would have been disconcerting if not for the PET Scan results as there's a large area of my throat which is still showing a big patch of the grey colour rather than a healthy pink. This is something my Consultant will review. He thought it's probably related to the scar tissue caused by the Radiotherapy and could be the reason why my voice is still not back to normal.

The hole where my feeding tube was was removed has healed nicely and without problems although there's now a 'dent' in my stomach. I'm telling everyone that's the bullet wound from when Ann shot me

Update 10 January 2024 - I saw my main Consultant today who checked the recent PET scan and this is where expertise and experience counts. When you have the scan they inject you with glucose which includes a radioactive substance and shows which parts of the body are using more than the 'normal' amount of sugar. Malignant cells shows more activity as they use more glucose than normal cells do.

My throat is still showing small signs of abnormal activity, reduced significantly compared to the PET Scan 7 months ago, but still not fully recovered. This ties in with the sore throat I've been experiencing since just before Christmas although nothing like the level it was early last year but I knew something didn't 'feel' right. He told me it's nothing to be too concerned about as my body is still healing but he's going to see me again in around 6 weeks and, if necessary he'll have me admitted for another biopsy under anaesthetic.

I feel OK and I'm eating normally although I still have minor problems linked to the Radiotherapy (and Chemo to a lesser extent) including constant mucus in my throat, dry mouth, voice changing regularly and hearing problems. If I hadn't somehow damaged a metatarsal and still have long term problems with my hip I'd be walking more than the typical 5 miles I do daily but I have got a lot fitter again since the Radiotherapy finished in mid August.

Update 28 February 2024 - Good news. I'm in remission. It looks like I'm a slow healer but after today's appointment with my Consultant he's said he's happy with the way my throat is healing and has no concerns. I'll be getting regular check ups for the next 5 years which is standard practice. The constant mucus in my throat, dry mouth, voice changing regularly and hearing problems will gradually improve over the coming months (or years).

The treatment/notes diary is now at page 94.

If you or someone you know has the feeling of a chicken bone or a similar feeling of something stuck in the throat that lasts more than a day go to your GP. Ann visited my Osteopath recently and apparently I'd mentioned this to him shortly before I went to see the private consultant. He had a patient who also complained of this feeling and told him about my experience. This person went to his GP and it turns out he also has throat cancer.

If anyone or anyone you know is going to go through this we're happy to answer questions, if we can, either in the thread or via pm. We had loads of questions which took time, in some cases, to get an answer.

One thing I will say is that if you go through this you have to be totally selfish and think only of yourself and what's best for you until the end of the treatment.

 

Rooting for you dude. Sounds like you have a good lady in your corner.

 

BE, thanks for candidly sharing your experience with us.
I wish you strength and hope that the treatment goes well.

 

Kick its ass, we're all cheering you on.

Your lady sounds like an absolute diamond.

 

All the best! Speedy recovery! and congratulations on that absolute rock you've got by your side.

 

@Big Elf BTW mate, I should have said really appreciate you giving us an in depth update on how things are going.

 

Keep strong mate and I hope it goes well for you.

 

Fingers crossed. I've only witnessed the big C from afar, but its getting closer.
Your candour and detail is amazing, and i can only feel for you. Thoughts and prayers and all that!

 

Kick it’s butt mate! We’re all behind you! Ann sounds like an absolute gem!

 

Wow, the SALT is definitely a salty one! Not to be messed with haha! Glad you've got a good one fighting your corner, taking names and kicking bottom. You've been through the mill just getting this far, at least you know where you are at now. It won't be without discomfort at times for sure but the Pregabalin will mask a lot of the pain you'd be dealing with otherwise. It's also often used for fibromyalgia to effectively 'deaden' nerve messages. I'm not sure if the medication has changed over the years, but I recall there was another medication to help with keeping the stomach settled when taking pregabalin for a prolonged period.

You and your amazing wife Ann have got this in the bag.

 

Puts little annoyances firmly into perspective pal.
All the very best with your treatment and it sounds like parts of the NHS are providing an 'above and beyond' service.

 

Holy ****, I cannot even grasp how much you're dealing with right now, it's amazing you've found the strength to post this with what you're going through. It really puts things into perspective. I hope your treatment goes well and keep fighting the good fight.

 

Added a couple of photos

 

Bit-Tech's rooting for you.

Keep them updates coming.

 

Keep the updates (good and bad) coming, we are all hoping for a quick recovery for you in as prompt and pain free way as possible.

Good luck dude!

 

I am wishing you all the luck in the world with this. I had a thyroid scare a few years back and that scared the bejesus out of me. I hope you are holding up and I am glad you have here to share as sharing helps I found.

 

Good luck with it all.

My best mate has not long had the all clear from stage 4 mouth cancer. It's wrecked his tear duct and closed an eye up a bit which somehow has made him uglier, but he's well on the road to recovery.

Get it beaten, f**k cancer.

 

Even if your having a shitty day and the meds / treatment are making you feel like a zombie please let us know. You might even get some barely SFW joke out of one of us….

For example:

Q: What do Americans call a full stop?
A: A period

Q: So what do Americans call 6.9?
A: A great time ruined by a period…..

Hope being a zombie ain’t too bad