Blog Update Saturday 6-4-24

 Hello everyone , very sorry I am a day late but it has taken me over 24 hours to come to terms with everything and be able to write this Blog , and before I do start I have to say and not be ashamed that I  have  shed a few tears today , Tears of Relief ,Tears of Joy and Tears of reading and replying to every message I have received in the last 36 hours , Humble and Honoured I have to say ,Thank You all so much 💛 

On the 7th of September 2023 I noticed quite a big lump on the right hand side of my Neck had developed overnight ! obviously concerned I rang my Doctors for an Appointment , non were available for 3 weeks ! so I decided to take myself down to North Manchester General Hospital A & E  Which isnt far away from home . This turned out to be one of the Best Decisions I have ever made and the Start of an incredible Journey for me .

A journey that in a Matter of weeks led to X rays , Ultra Sound Scans , MRI scans ,meeting 2 great Consultants and Nursing Staff ,  an exploratory Operation on my Throat under General Anesthetic (ouch ) and then on the 26 th October  those never to be forgotten words " you have a Throat Cancer " , I cringe even writing those words , and I know  I  had to decide to inform Family and Friends , again not an easy task I can assure you . The way forward was planned with my Oncologist from Christies Mr Hughes of 30 Sessions of Radiotherapy over 6 weeks including Christmas and New Year with the warning still ringing in my Ears ITS GONNA BE TOUGH !!!,. And First Task would be to Have a Mask made that is used to Bolt me to the Machine , nice thought ,  and it has been a Tough Journey .

On the 20th November I journeyed by Hospital Transport  to the Christies Cancer Hospital in Manchester and met the Bloods Team who I would see every Monday for the next 6 weeks to have Blood Samples taken , for my Treatments and also for a Clinical Review that I stupidly volunteered for .That done I found my way to Suite 4 Treatment room and the fantastic Team that worked there where I would be daily for the next 6 weeks !!

So that Treatment finished on the 2 nd of January 2024 and I describe the Period since then as a Black Hole , including a trip back to Christies for a day spent  on Drips for 5 hours to re charge my very tired body and discover I had been using the wrong Ointment on my Radiation Burns which were bloody awful and sore , but thankfully with help of fantastic       Nursing  staff I was pretty soon better.

Then 26th March I go for my long awaited Pet Scan , and become Radioactive for 24 hours to enable the CT scanner to do a whole body Scan on me to detect how successful the Treatments had been a very interesting   experience sitting in a Lead Lined room !!

That done it lead on to Yesterday the 5 th April when I again Journey to the Christies , have more Bloods taken then go and Check in at Department 22 then await my fate .

After a while I am taken to a small Examination Room and met for the first time since November  by my Oncologist Mr Hughes , after a brief chat he switches on the Computer  and we view My Scan which was interesting indeed , this is the Moment I had been praying for he says the Cancer is 100 % Gone !!!! , I cant tell you what that felt Like to me , BUT he said although the Cancer has gone 2 Lymph Nodes have Little shadows on them , he doesnt think its anything serious or Cancer but to be sure he is going to send me for an Ultra Sound Scan ,X RAYS    and for some Biopsies taken of the Nodes but says the Shadow may have gone in weeks but he wants to be sure which is good.

So that friends is where we are at  ,no Bell ringing yet or Cap Wearing but the Throat Cancer has Gone completely , thank Medicine and Radiotherapy !!

I am not even going to try and explain the ups and downs and the shit I have been through in the last 6 months but I never want to go through it again .I hate to think where I would be without your Support and Input you are amazing People , we are nearly there and I can start trying to re build my Body and Mind , I still have no sense of Smell or Taste and suffer the Dry Mouth which the Doc said  should all return eventually no time scale 

I will update when the next part starts  until then you all take care and God Bless

Tom x