11-09-2021, 01:43 AM
So I posted the other day about a stream for the game as I was feeling ill....
I have squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which you may have heard of as head/neck cancer.
I discovered a lump in my neck in June, and following a trip to the GP, I was referred to various different consultants following X rays, MRI scans, biopsies under ultrasound and PET scans and finally ended up under Mr Silva in the Churchill Hosp, Oxford.
The first course of action was removal of the lump and biopsies of my tongue/tonsils under anaesthetic, and after being rushed back to theatre for complications, this was done 5 weeks ago.
This led to the second operation, which was last week. I had my tonsils removed and a layer of my tongue scraped away. I can honestly say that I have never known pain like the type I am experiencing at the moment post operatively. The medication works to a degree, but there are times when it is horrific, and times when it is just about bearable. This is expected to last for two weeks, and at the time of writing this, I am a week in.
The only way I can describe it, is when you bite your tongue, imagine that pain all over your tongue, on a continuous basis.
I will be back in front of the consultant in a couple of weeks, along with an oncologist who will determine whether more operations are needed, or whether I can progress to radiotherapy as the final course of treatment.
I have nothing but praise for the whole NHS involvement with my care, from the initial GP referral, to the diagnostic experts and the ENT team of Blenheim Ward/Outpatients departments at the Churchill in Oxford, and the many support specialists that have dealt with me.
As I said earlier, I first discovered a marble sized lump in my neck in June. It caused me no pain, no problems with swallowing, no dental issues...nothing. If you are reading this, and you have such a lump (apparently it is most common in men over the age of 50 with a history of never smoking) please go to the GP and get checked out. There are other things it could be, but if it is SCC, the earlier it is detected and acted on, the better the prognosis. Your lump may not even bother you (until you are shaving when you notice it as with me) but don't let that stop you asking your GP for advice. If you do ask for advice and you are not happy with what you are given, seek a second opinion from another GP until you are. At the very least initial investigations should commence under the '2 week wait' system we have for possible cancer investigations.
That said, if you are concerned about any lumps/continuous coughs or blood that appears anywhere where it shouldn't, please go and get checked out. Likewise if a mate says 'I've got this lump etc etc....' get them to go to their GP for checking. It might be nothing, but it might be something more serious, and earlier detection leads to much better prognosis.
Sorry for the long winded post....
I have squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which you may have heard of as head/neck cancer.
I discovered a lump in my neck in June, and following a trip to the GP, I was referred to various different consultants following X rays, MRI scans, biopsies under ultrasound and PET scans and finally ended up under Mr Silva in the Churchill Hosp, Oxford.
The first course of action was removal of the lump and biopsies of my tongue/tonsils under anaesthetic, and after being rushed back to theatre for complications, this was done 5 weeks ago.
This led to the second operation, which was last week. I had my tonsils removed and a layer of my tongue scraped away. I can honestly say that I have never known pain like the type I am experiencing at the moment post operatively. The medication works to a degree, but there are times when it is horrific, and times when it is just about bearable. This is expected to last for two weeks, and at the time of writing this, I am a week in.
The only way I can describe it, is when you bite your tongue, imagine that pain all over your tongue, on a continuous basis.
I will be back in front of the consultant in a couple of weeks, along with an oncologist who will determine whether more operations are needed, or whether I can progress to radiotherapy as the final course of treatment.
I have nothing but praise for the whole NHS involvement with my care, from the initial GP referral, to the diagnostic experts and the ENT team of Blenheim Ward/Outpatients departments at the Churchill in Oxford, and the many support specialists that have dealt with me.
As I said earlier, I first discovered a marble sized lump in my neck in June. It caused me no pain, no problems with swallowing, no dental issues...nothing. If you are reading this, and you have such a lump (apparently it is most common in men over the age of 50 with a history of never smoking) please go to the GP and get checked out. There are other things it could be, but if it is SCC, the earlier it is detected and acted on, the better the prognosis. Your lump may not even bother you (until you are shaving when you notice it as with me) but don't let that stop you asking your GP for advice. If you do ask for advice and you are not happy with what you are given, seek a second opinion from another GP until you are. At the very least initial investigations should commence under the '2 week wait' system we have for possible cancer investigations.
That said, if you are concerned about any lumps/continuous coughs or blood that appears anywhere where it shouldn't, please go and get checked out. Likewise if a mate says 'I've got this lump etc etc....' get them to go to their GP for checking. It might be nothing, but it might be something more serious, and earlier detection leads to much better prognosis.
Sorry for the long winded post....