Living with head and neck cancer - my video journal - Week 5

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Still trucking along on my second course of chemo-radiation for head neck cancer, having just wrapped week 5 of 7.  Latest vlog tracking my progress is up on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ZH1TeGQinmo

Cheers

Shane

[Clairecb]

Hi Shane, thank you so much for your video.  You seem calm and settled and this brings me great comfort.  I’ve recently been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer and the medical team think the primary may be in one of my tonsils which was removed last week for the purpose of a biopsy. I meet with the medical oncologist in a couple of days and will find out then as to whether the biopsy has revealed the primary.
Anyway, thanks again for the video and I’m now goi g to have a look at your other one.

cheers

claire

[Anonymous]

Hi Claire

Sorry its taken a while to reply, I've been busy enjoying life 🙂

I also hope your treatment has gone well and you are achieving a cure?

Unfortunately my cancer has also reached my lungs and is no longer curable - I am on a palliative immunotherapy program that is however holding things under control and I'm still well enough to go about fairly normal activities.  We pray it keeps on working for a very long time.

I'm really glad you've found the videos helpful - keep fighting 😉

Shane

[Clairecb]

Hi Shane, I’m so sorry to hear that it’s gone to your lungs.

my cancer is also not curable and after four rounds of chemo and immunotherapy I’m now only on immunotherapy every six weeks.  I was doing pretty well until a few weeks ago when my breathing deteriorated.  The reason for this was found to be a significant amount of fluid in my lungs - around 1.5 litres.  This was drained on Monday this week and whilst my breathing has improved it’s significantly worse than it was prior to the fluid building up. Anyway, I am trying to be optimistic that it will progressively improve and if it doesn’t I’ll just have to adjust to it.

I too hope that the immunotherapy works for you and for me too for many years and hopefully long enough for a new treatment to be found.

take care

Claire

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the update Claire, here's hoping you can get back to your previous fitness level... the fluid build up is a worry I've had too

Unfortunately the immunotherapy was losing effectiveness with most of the reference nodes still increasing in size after nine months and some new lesions appearing.  They have put me onto weekly chemo with Taxol, I'm three weeks in and starting to get some of the cumulative side effects.

Have a great Christmas, would be great if 2021 bought us the gift of remission.

[Joolz]

Hi Shane,

haven’t been on here for a long time and wondered how you are faring.

My husband is 4 years post treatment now. He had his latest checkups today and all was clear. So far so good. I was following your vlogs and you while he was diagnosed and having treatment in late 2019/2020. 
It took 2 years for him to overcome his side effects and the resulting depression/anxiety. 
He is back working part time now as a Gardner/handy man. 
h

Hope your absence from here is because you are so busy living life and you don’t have time for this. 🙏🤞🤞🤞