goto 18th March

Thursday, 19th March 2020

First week of treatment finished and I have found that my mouth is starting to dry out, I have less saliva and I am drinking heaps more water than before.
I still have trouble with liquid coming out my nose, which has been an ongoing problem since I discovered the cancer back in October 2019.

The left side of my face and neck are still quite numb and has a pins and needles feeling when I touch my face, to apply the cream for radiation each day and even at night when I lay on this side, it feels different.
Also, on the left side of my neck, is a swollen lump that has been there since my last lot of surgery. It is still quiet sore and I believe it to be a problem with my swallowing and eating. I find I have to cut food up rather small and chew more to have it go down my throat. I am still eating solid food.

The lump on the back of my neck has also been a problem during the past week, especially when laying on my back during radiation. The radiation nurses are aware of it and try to make me as comfortable as they can.

Friday 20th March 2020

Today my appointment is at 12 noon, so I have had breakfast of toast with jam and a glass of orange juice.

I have booked a seat on the shopping mini bus, which goes to woollies at Stafford, cheaper and less hassle than trying to get into town and back. It leaves the unit at 9am and returns by 11am. This mini bus picks me up and drops me back at my door. I needed to get some more milk and a few groceries plus the cream for my leg and wrist, called Aquess Cream.
Won't need anything else for a few weeks.
I return home and unpack the groceries before making my lunch, a banana milk shake. Yummy.
I then walk up to the hospital for my radiation appointment.

As I haven't heard from Martin, I decide to go and see him after my treatment. There is no one in the waiting room when I arrive and I noticed that there are fewer chairs, only 10 and none sitting up against another, they are enforcing the 2-metre square separation rule.
I ask the receptionist If I could see Dr Batstone about a biopsy result and she says to take a seat and he will be out shortly.
He was on lunch as I saw him walk back in. I was called in and asked him about the results. He told me that the lump on the back of my neck is not cancer. Thank goodness. He then goes on to say that it is an infected cist and may need to be cut out if it doesn’t go away by next week. He then has a squeeze of it (which hurts) but nothing comes out. Martin tells me that my antibiotic should help it go away.
Rather than walking home, I am in time to catch our mini bus back to the unit.