Thursday, May 29, 2008

3 years on and I am starting to write again

I am back, news of my death has been greatly talked about. It has been 3 years this week. Although the scars of the surgeons knife have healed, my serious external and internal burns have gone and my limp left shoulder exists. Mentally the pain is still there.

I still get big time serious pain from my left shoulder, too much life, too much carrying, too much digging on the newly accquired allottment the daily pain killers help.

I still travel the UK and still work full time without a grumble. I run 20 miles a week, dig my allottment and run my own buisness.

I am three years cancer free. I want to write again, many people have read the blog. Cancer remission is not just about me it affects everyone, my wife, my children my friends and those who seek guidance from my experiences.

In the next few days I will start dusting off the quill pen. I will be writing again. I feel I need it. I have cried over the last few weeks when I remember the start of the journey. I think it is like post traumatic stress.

In 7 days I was told I had cancer. Tonsils were removed, neck cut open and left less-abled for life, and prepared for 7 months of "therapy"

Next Monday I get the 3 year sign off the real MOT.

I want to give you an insight into living after Cancer treatment. I hope you will join me in the journey and an insight into a World which is often rarely seen.

Keep attacking. Nigel alias the Ferryman!

2 comments:

RipVanWinkle said...

I Look forward to hearing about your experience. I'm just a year on following the 35 radiation treatments that was the second tine of the two tine course of treatment I commenced in January 2007--the 9-weeks of intensive Chemo.

During radiation, the pain that accompanied swallowing compelled me to get a PEG Tube so I could take liquid nutrition through a hole in my chest. I still have it and, sadly, have not had a thing to eat or drink by mouth since April, 2007.

Intensive swallow therapy goes on here in New Hamshire daily, and we expect it to take a long time before I can eat and swallow again.

The skill will be sorely missed when we take the Queen Mary to France in July, and especially so during our stay at our home there until October. But we plod on.

So glad to hear you're 3-years on cancer free. I'm a year cancer clear, but the side effect is almost worse than the cure.

Nigel said...

Yes I remember those months after the treatment finished - I felt treatment was an oxymoron!

It does get better, I stupidly never had a peg tube so was fed thorugh my nose for 16 hours a day including drugs and water.

The physical scars of the neck disection in terms of my left arm and shoulder pain and use are all to apparent. I at least have one saliva gland but mouth dryness is not as bad as it was :) In addition I can have a little white wine now so life is not too bad.