Well done Boony on reaching the cancer-free milestone.  It can be a long process.  The challenges that face us in adapting to the "new normal" really keep us on our toes.   I have always considered that I have been extremely fortunate in my journey in that I had no real medical type complications during the time.  I genuinely feel for anyone that has had serious complications on top of the general recovery.  Radiation was very uncomfortable but incident-free, chemo made me sick, particularly the last one - spewed for a week then spent the weekend on a drip.  Relearning to eat was a challenge and took a number of years before I was close to the situation pre-cancer.  Suffered hearing loss due to the Cisplatin and now wear hearing aids.  I still get tired easily but am trying to exercise more.   With regard to tips, keep up with the lympho massage, it needs all the help it can get.  Work hard on swallowing exercises which will aid your eating  - Speech Pathologist is good to get on to for this.  I always have a drink when I eat and plenty of sauces and gravy and a lot of mashed potato with meals.  Rare steak because it stays juicier longer and is easier to eat for me.   Keep on working hard and look after your support team - they deserve to be immortalised in gold.  I had my wife helping me on a daily basis and other family helped with shopping and transport ad other things.  I had the opportunity a few years ago to return the help to my wife as she recovered from breast cancer and surgery.   Good luck    John ... View more

My name is John Murphy and I am on the wrong side of 67 and trying to enjoy retirement and I am a cancer survivor. In September 2009 I was diagnosed with a Squamous Cell Carcinoma right base of tongue.  I went through the 33 radiotherapy sessins and 3 Cysplatin chemo sessions.  After 8½  years I can now eat fairly normally.  In September 2015 my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and has survived her treatment very well.  So I have seen both sides of the cancer journey. My Cancer Council involvement includes the Newcastle Lake Macquarie Relay for Life Committee and as a volunteer driver for the Transport to Treatment service.  The volunteer family is amazing and I enjoy working with them. I look forward to, one day, seeing a cure for this insidious disease. ... View more

I am honoured that you chose my suggestion  ... View more

You could call the group "HAVEACHAT". ... View more

Howabout simply "CHAT TIME"? ... View more