Wow Yeah I feel ya. I was diagnosed with Squamous cell supra glottis carcinoma bout 6 weeks ago and start Chemotherapy with radiation therapy next week for 7 weeks! From everything I've heard and read, not looking forward but we'll see. But, yes, I've been in charge of my ship my entire life until now! We'll see I guess ... View more

Super Woman!!   Hmmm that sore throat, not sure, your naturopath friend could help there and take a look. Mention it to your dentist.  When the mucosa lining our throat gets dried out or even just a weeny bit that is a big open door for bad bacteria to settle in and inflame and proliferate causing a cold. It can happen to anyone anytime. I would rinse the mouth and then gently (with the softest brush possible) brush the teeth, gargle with salty water for 30 seconds to kill the bug, and then rinse the mouth with cool/warm previously boiled water. Then if you have a teaspoon of Organic honey, or a milky drink or eg custard that might soothe your throat.  A lozenge like Strepsils (I luv the sugar-free lemon or strawberry) will kill a bug and I always have them in my handbag for emergencies. Best not to kiss anyone, but then again we live in COVID times. Watch the inflammation.   You are exercising a lot. Yes you put us all to shame. But could you be overdoing it a tad? and that can stress your body as well not only in terms of joints and muscle but cortisol (which is damaging) and interferes with blood glucose, it's all connected, sorry : ((. A lot of exercise would require extra water, replenishment of electrolytes*  (because you are sweating), extra antioxidants from wholefoods (veg fruit fish meat nuts grains) and extra protein (after the workout) because of the wear and tear of bone and muscle. And then you will need good sleep for the repair work to happen during the night. It's all about balance.   Woman to woman, have you had a bone density test yet?  Are you doing the meditation thinggy?    *Hydrate but also replace Electrolytes   (potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium) : think in terms of banana or fruit with some nuts (potassium), milk (calcium), seeds/grains/beans/leafy greens/yoghurt/fruits (magnesium),  a tablespoon of salted nuts/an olive/celery (sodium chloride). Or just have a natural yoghurt and eg banana smoothy or hummus dip with wholegrain rice crackers or cheese, tomato, avo on wholegrain. And, there's protein in all of these : ))  You will replenish, and aid the development of muscle which is so critical to health, systems balancing, movement, and ageing.     Have a great Sunday!!   ... View more

It's all we seem to do most of the time, wait around for "results".  Thinking positive thoughts for you too. ... View more

Hi Darlene. I’m wondering if your situation has changed for the better as your post was in January and it’s now July. I so hope it has improved and you’ve got the help and support and love that you need. 💕 Linda  ... View more

Hi, I know this is a couple months off, but wanted to reply in case someone else sees this looking for answers. I had squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, went through 35 doses of radiation and 7 weekly chemo treatments. At my last follow up weigh in (mid June) I was at 169 lbs. When I started treatments I was close to 220. My Drs weren’t overly concerned about my weight loss, and encouraged me to keep eating what I could. The nurses responsible for my radiation treatment were really supportive about the weight loss and even had a positive attitude about having to rescan me when I dropped too much weight (thankfully I didn’t have any tattoos because I happen to have a freckle in the perfect spot). I’m sorry your team seemed so negative about it. I feel that they shouldn’t have been so harsh. I loved working with both my radiation and chemo people. They were all so positive and supportive which I feel made all the difference in my treatment course. ... View more

Hi bodynycin Thank you for sharing your story If you have any concerns about your health please make an appointment to see your Dr where you can voice your concerns and hopefully this will put your mind at ease and give you some peace. I wish you all the very best for a positive outcome and I hope your journey is a good one. Kind Regards 🌺 🌺 Peter 🌺 🌺 ... View more

Thanks @sch - I did post a similar flavour request on head and neck and got a link but not much else that I'd hoped for so figured Id try the question to the wider group 🙂 ... View more

Hi Jesus, I had similar to you. I had a tumor on my left salivary gland in my neck. I had that removed in Feb and tomorrow I finish 33 radiotherapy treatments. The 1st 3 weeks were ok and I noticed when in for treatment that the people having chemo looked to be suffering a lot more than me. In saying that at 3 weeks my throat, inside of cheek and back of tongue blistered and ulcers came soon after. The morphine works quite well but makes you very drowsy. These last 2 weeks and now I have really had to keep on top of the pain meds to cope. I was lucky and didn't become as fatigued as I was warned. I really played the seriousness of it in the 1st 3 weeks and wasn't great at accepting help from friends and family. My advice is to be kind to yourself. Don't put pressure on yourself to get everything done that you usually do and let your friends do things for you. Talk to the nurses and doctor when you feel pain. Rinsing your mouth regularly is invaluable. It feels better too. I thought it would drag out but really, it has gone pretty fast. Be strong but be kind to yourself. I am happy to be a support for you. As much as family and friends try to understand it's not like anything I have been through before so to talk to someone who has been there is invaluable. Be brave. Good luck. Tarsh ... View more

Hi Peter, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. For context, I've lost many family members to cancer, had cancer myself and I was involved in a serious auto vehicle accident that took me a lot closer to death than my cancer, and I certainly was not expected to recover from that one either. It was a protracted painful recovery with very little hope of a good outcome.   Before that accident, I was certain that I would choose to die over losing any of my quality of life (I was in my 20's). But in the aftermath of the accident and spending time with people worse off than I was, I learnt I had to change my expectations of what a good recovery was or what I considered quality of life. I learnt to love and appreciate different aspects of my life, my family and loved ones, and who I was.   Now, I'm not trying to suggest one thing or another to you, just give a slightly different perspective to this. The line, no doubt, is different for everyone and it's a very complicated subject. But that line can change given our perspective and expectations.   I wish you well Peter. -s ... View more