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Laine ?
Sept 10, 2021 7:01:15 GMT 1
Post by mangetout on Sept 10, 2021 7:01:15 GMT 1
Sorry, I liked your post, but do continue to have confidence in your MT who will know will be overviewing your treatment. Be prepared to ask questions in French/English. Live life as possible to the full. Play a very loud "Black Sabbath" record or whatever is your thing! I presume Nifty has cancer, as did my husband. It is the oncologist who overseas such treatment, not the MT. Although the MT may be better at communicating what's going on.
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 10, 2021 20:35:21 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 10, 2021 20:35:21 GMT 1
‘Sorry, I liked your post, but do continue to have confidence in your MT who will know will be overviewing your treatment. Be prepared to ask questions in French/English. Live life as possible to the full. Play a very loud "Black Sabbath" record or whatever is your thing! ‘ You know it ain’t easy.
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 9:58:25 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 28, 2021 9:58:25 GMT 1
Just to say that I am not Paranoid and am feeling a lot better, in spite of not using the tranquillisers!
I went to see my GP yesterday who was able to provide me with eight pages of reports with breathtaking efficiently. I have been deciphering them and feel less concerned about what lies ahead, though saying that, for the first time I have picked up the possibility of chemotherapy and I wonder if it is really worth going down that route should it be suggested.
And I do wish the medical profession were not so fond of the use of acronyms. I have been frying to post part of a report in the hope somebody with some prior knowledge might comment and it might save me a bit of time and put other perspectives on the issue. computer is full and can’t do so as normal, or, find any shrink fit apps that I trust and can get to function. Any suggestions?
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FFS
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As usual, in front of my laptop when I'm here
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 10:05:11 GMT 1
Post by FFS on Sept 28, 2021 10:05:11 GMT 1
Is it a cancer, Nifty?
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Deleted
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 10:12:42 GMT 1
Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 10:12:42 GMT 1
Chemo is a lot less brutal these days,
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 10:52:28 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 28, 2021 10:52:28 GMT 1
Previous post edited.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 11:00:08 GMT 1
Good luck nifty, hope all progresses well.
I’m now five weeks on from a similar op in which the doc took out a tumour and a salivary gland. I’ve had some wacky side effects since including Frey Syndrome where I sweat when eating a meal. The cicatrice healed well though the site of the scar is still quite lumpy. The area is becoming less numb which is good but normal service may take a year to repair or maybe not at all.
My tumour , measuring about 35mm was found to be benign fortunately.
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 11:03:34 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 28, 2021 11:03:34 GMT 1
Had you had any previous treatment?
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Deleted
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 11:36:30 GMT 1
Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2021 11:36:30 GMT 1
No, I had first noticed a lump a while back but a previous MT said it was a harmless ganglion. It started to get bigger and a MRI scan revealed a tumour. My ORL treated it as something which needed to be removed and she did the op a few weeks later. Apparently such tumours can turn cancerous quite quickly and the life expectation after that can be very short. She did a neat job with the incision starting behind the ear and going down the side of the neck, it’s barely visible.
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 28, 2021 16:55:55 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 28, 2021 16:55:55 GMT 1
More relief. I got back from a visit to my dentist earlier that was to do with the pending procedure. TPTB were mooting that I might have to have teeth extracted. I wasn’t not a happy bunny, only just having had a load fitted.
apparently, he had to check them as they are prone to be weakened by the treatment, and, some might have had to have been removed, however after a checkup and bit of descaling they were fine.
I am still a bit/ extremely concerned that I am not going to be feeling as buoyant after they do whatever they are going to do at Pau next week.
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Nifty
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Laine ?
Sept 30, 2021 14:22:10 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Sept 30, 2021 14:22:10 GMT 1
Got back from Pau about an hour ago. @ Ally
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Nifty
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Post by Nifty on Oct 1, 2021 10:29:01 GMT 1
Latest from the log of the Starship Enterprise Thur 30/9/21
or, Another 33 Days!
Taxi to Pau 10.15 on time
Pleasant drive and conversation with driver of taxi, name ? Who told us about alternate routes that were possible. Arrived on time for appointment. Parking on arrival restricted due to roadworks outside hospital.
Multiple questions in reception area COVID restriction of social distancing very evident.
OH and I crept our distance from our designated receptionist. Two so called French ladies came and strategically positioned themselves in front of us. When receptionist was free, the two ladies were a bit quicker off the mark than OH who, rather Inadvisably, had her eye off of the ball. I got agitated and tried to gain the attention of the receptionist by using mime and semaphore signals to OH’s great embarrassment. The result was that we had to stand doing nothing for another 20 minutes + while the receptionist dealt with the interlopers.
I am going to make an early New Year’s resolution
It is not going to happen again.
12.30 Which, lead me on to waiting, musing about why the French are like the French ?
I am waiting outside the Doctor’s office to actually see him. Could this waste of time have been any different? or
14.15
Arrive back home OH who I Had accompanied me for translation and back-up duties and I were called into the Docs office to get the low-down.
There was good news and not so good news. The Doctor spoke English well and gave me great confidence that he knew his stuff and gave me the impression that I was in the pest possible hands. The bad news afiwc was that the Dr. said that the most efficacious treatment was to involve chemotherapeutic tequniques. I told him of my concerns, when he replied I ouldntm help thinking of something my stepfather told me all those years ago ‘ give it your best shot first’ but, at the same time, I couldn’t help thinking that the Doc may have been a top snake-oil salesman.
Alluding to the chemo, he explained that it was ‘ only a minimal dose’ and explained the consequences that I would feel. After the first week or two I wouldn’t feel to bad, then, the fun would begin. What could I say other than ‘bring it on’
I could not help feeling a bit like a guinea pig, and, what I was told, was more about spending money as much as doing what was proven, but, in the words of Manuel to Basil Faulty, ‘I know nothing’
I am informed that the treatment schedule will be:
4th October Mask + CT scan at Tarbs
Surgeon fits point (catheter) to administer chemo
33 days of radiation at Pau with chemo each Wednesday during this time I should be having a blood test each Monday and taking Emend 125 mg on Wednesday, 80 mg Thursday, 80 mg Friday Zophran once / day Wednesday to Sunday
The best news was that I have got to eat as much protein as possible.
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Post by Pale Ale on Oct 1, 2021 12:44:21 GMT 1
Glad to hear that the doctor you saw speaks English, I know that made a big difference to myself, it is very difficult being ill in a foreign language.
Regarding the radio/chemotherapy, my tumour was in a different part of the body to yourself, but I also had to have radio/chemo, like yourself 33 zappings of radiotherapy along with chemo at the same time. My doctor told me that the chemo helps the radiotherapy to be more efficient. My chemo was in tablet form, and to be honest I had very little side effects. Obviously all the treatments are different and your chemo will be administered through a drip presumably. The blood test each week will probably show your white blood cells dropping quite sharply, this is normal with the treatment and the doctor didn't make much of it. Obviously try to be more careful than ever with keeping away from people the best that you can, as you will have a compromised defence mechanism. The radiotherapy itself is painless, the hardest part was trying to stay still when the machine is zapping you. The machine does make an awful noise which is a bit of a shock initially. I found it helpful to make a chart counting back from 33 down to 1 and after each session, I would mark off a treatment, it gets a lot better when you pass the halfway mark.
All that I can say is stay strong Nifty, and try and stay in neutral, the sessions come and go and you will come out the other end in time. Wishing you all the very best.
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Post by limousinlady on Oct 1, 2021 18:30:29 GMT 1
Wishing you all the best. Stay strong.
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Nifty
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Post by Nifty on Oct 1, 2021 19:13:20 GMT 1
The other good news is that this afternoon I found an old sachet of Macrogol in the bathroom.
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