Ddcoo - update on tongue cancer

[Ddcoo]

Hi everyone, for those of you that have followed my illness since November last year when I was first diagnosed with tongue cancer, you will know that I had a third of my tongue replacedfrom a patch on my wrist and that 2 lymph nodes were found to have cancer. From the operation, I went on to have 2 lots of chemotherapy and six and a half weeks of radiotherapy, and now we come to date.

It is 3 months now since I finished radiotherapy. At first I was completely exhausted, but about a month ago I started to feel a bit more energetic and slowly since then I have gained strength and am now doing some household chores and gardening, which may seem mundane to a well person, but to me it is a wonderful achievement.

I still have a lot of symptoms coming and going, sometimes it hurts to swallow, sometimes swelling and pain in my neck and ear, itching and redness where my neck was cut, but they are all part of the recovery process and the surgeon assures me that I am doing better than anticipated, not that it feels that way to me. I went to the dentist at hospital on Thursday as the radiotherapy affects your jaw and gums and teeth, and she said I was doing OK too and that the gums would get better, but not to expect any real progress for at least 12 months.
12 months seems like a long time but the cancer has been dealt with, I am alive and happy to be alive and that is enough for me for the moment.

So thanks to you all that have followed my story and I send my very best wishes to all of you.

[venusbluejeans]

Great to hear from you, I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how you were getting on.

Good to hear you are doing well and finding yourself with more energy.... you will be running marathons in no time haha

:hugs::hugs::hugs:

[cattia]

Lovely to hear from you, glad you are doing so much better! Just out of interest, do you feel that your anxiety is actually better now that you have dealt with a real illness? Hope you don't mind me asking, just curious! Thanks so much for the updates, you have been a real inspiration to so many of us here xx

[Ddcoo]

Thanks for the reply Venus, my NMP teddy is spurring me on all the time, but he is a lot younger than me, so maybe I will enter him for the Marathon. Hope you are well x

---------- Post added at 13:12 ---------- Previous post was at 13:05 ----------

Hi Cattia thanks for catching up withy me and to answer your question about my general anxiety - when I came out of hospital I had no anxiety at all and I thought it was brilliant; whether this was because of all the anaesthetic and medication I was put on, I do not know, but over a few weeks I went back to how I was before, so I still worry about all the rubbish stuff. It is crazy isn't it, you would think after what I have been through, nothing would phase me. The operation itself I handled very well and I do think it was due to the meds I was on. Hope that answers your query. Thanks again to for post.

[Magic]

Ddcoo, So nice to hear from you dd, you have been through so much. So brave.
You are a lovely lady and I wish you all the best for the future:hugs::hugs:

[Freaked]

:-) great to hear from someone on a road to recovery. Fighting with ill-health myself atm (hopefully not life-threatening, but very debilitating) and it's inspiring to hear someone say they're getting better.

My mom had chemo years ago, and she still felt a bit rough for a while afterwards, but then she said she felt better than she had in years and now fifteen years on no one can believe how young she looks for 46.

[Annie0904]

Lovelt to hear from you on NMP Di :D Lots of big hugs for you :bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bigh ug1::bighug1::bighug1:

[Pipkin]

Great to hear you're doing so well Di. You've been a real inspiration to us all.

Take care

Pip xxx

[RosieXXX]

Hello Di,

Lovely to hear from you - i have been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. It is great to know you are making good progress - it doesn't seem possible it is already three months since you completed your radiation. I can imagine how blissful life must seem now you have completed your treatment - you have done so amazingly well - the side effects of your radiation were particularly unpleasant, and it is good to hear your discomfort is improving all the time. Love and best wishes to you xx

[Elen]

great to hear from you again Di.

Like the others I have been wondering how you were doing.

You are an insperation.

Elen

[ricardo]

ddcoo,

I have said it before, you are an example to us all.:hugs::hugs:

[Tessar]

ooooooo yay what a lovely pleasure to hear from you....!!!!!!! You really are the business my dear. Mrs brave and courageous lady .... still an inspiration to me. I really am trying to get the most from my life. From every day. It is because of encouragement from you.....

I guess how long your progress is taking and how long some of your body will take to heal is a real mark of what you have been through. It must be incredibly frustrating. You have come so far but of course,despite that .... you know there is a way to go yet. But you will keep at it despite the frustrations. You didnt come this far & go thro that gruelling treatment to give in now. But yes... to hear that u have to wait a year to see improvement must have been a real blow.

Out of interest, has it altered your sense of taste? Also,from what u have described... it must make eating very problematical from the practical point of view. Given that eating and the taste and texture of food is one of life's pleasures, it must affect your enthusiasm sometimes?

Well, lovely lady.... its so very good to hear from you again. Warm wishes and all the very best.... xXx

p.s. i think the word i am looking for (& am rather shy of using) is.... love...

All my love...... xXx

[shaka]

Hi ddcoo Great to hear from you :hugs::hugs:

[AuntieMoosie]

Oh wow Di! how lovely to hear from you hun :D

I'm so glad that you're feeling better and getting life back into some sort of normality, that's so lovely to hear :D

Di you really have been such an inspiration to all of us here on NMP and I, for one, have nothing but admiration for the way you have dealt with your illness and all that it threw at you.

You are one very brave and special lady Di, and don't you ever forget that :D

:bighug1: :bighug1: :bighug1: :bighug1: