Two Years Ago. Head & Neck Cancer. October 2018. 85/2020.
For this week, one week ago, and the next week on Wednesday I am posting a ‘review’ blog post mostly to remind ME of how far I have come in terms of the changes brought about in my life thanks to the diagnosis of head and neck cancer on 17 May 2017. The whole story is here.
Using some photos I am adding my memories from the time.
Here I go:
October 2018.
Early October 2018 and I was off to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse with a LOT to smile about. I received the long-anticipated upper prosthesis of teeth on 21 August 2018 – some 14 months after surgery.
- It was a cancer check day but also a chance to meet with Nadia from then Beyond Five – now Head & Neck Australia to discuss my prospective Ambassadorship as a volunteer.
- Photo – top left. Then briefly caught up with then then Specialist Head and Neck Cancer Nurse (top right) who had last seen me as a very raw new-to-head and neck cancer patient in July 2017. She was stoked! My cancer check went very well indeed (bottom left) with smiles and congratulations all-round.
- How good it must be for the Professor (Jonathan Clark AM) and his Nurse Surgical Assistant and Consultant (Cate) to see a patient post surgeries…yes, all 4 they were part of…and my much anticipated S M I L E.
- Last photo is me with Gail O’Brien, the late Professor Chris O’Brien’s wife whose vision it was to have this wonderful comprehensive cancer centre built and to tell her how much I appreciated the work and vision of her late husband…he was a head and neck surgeon too and my surgeon trained with him.
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- Four grandkids with us.
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- three grandkids here with us
School holidays in October 2018 saw two visits from our Sydney-based family.
- Much appreciated as always.
- We entertain casually for lunch with their favourite snacks and foods and much chatter is heard.
- Often we go outside for a play even though our yard is very small.
- On this occasion the four younger kids (left pic) took home a special pot with some items planted and some crystals along with a few old fave toys from our Sydney house…and their younger days.
- With the older group there is often some reminiscing and music too, particularly as the older grandson is a DJ.
- I felt so much more at ease now I had the teeth in my mouth. It still took quite a bit of getting used to for eating but it was much better than before!
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- Many companies donate items very generously.
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- Who IS that in the mirror??
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- Cindy, the Co-ordinator with Me…after-shot!
I was interested in attending a Look Good Feel Better Cancer Patient Workshop and once my ‘teeth’ were in I happily took part in a local event.
- I did get some good advice and took away a swag of amazing free products.
- What left me feeling somewhat disappointed was the fact that my cancer is so rare and not known.
- These workshops were pitched at breast cancer patients more than anyone.
- Some needed help with using wigs and scarves, others with how chemotherapy had changed their skin/hair.
- I guess I need(ed) to be more grateful because I was/am doing well.
- I wonder as I write this if these activities have now been stopped because of COVID and that is a shame because it was psychologically very helpful to us to be ‘seen as a woman, not a patient.’
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- My Mindfulness Colouring Class at Local Library.
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- Many 100s of bookmarks I Made for The Big Hug Box
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- My mandala became a card for cancer patients.
It was, and still is, important for my mental health to have something creative to do most days.
- I liked the idea of holding a mindfulness colouring class at the local library. I did get to have it, but it took so much box-ticking, I left it as a one-off.
- However, I know I enjoyed being ‘teacher’ again.
- My months of making bookmarks for the charity The Big Hug Box were always enjoyable and I must have contributed well over 500.
- They were individually constructed by me and sent in batches to Lisa for adding to the boxes.
- In November 2018 I took part in a packing boxes day at her house and met other cancer patients.
- One got me to design some mandalas for a colouring-card idea she had. I was pleased to share my creations.
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- What I ate with difficulty & couldn’t finish
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- This was mashed up with probably took two mealtimes to eat.
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- My fave lunch. Crunch was so missed by me for 14 months
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- I love a meal of cutlets but I eat half of this plate one night, half the next.
About eating. And drinking. I remember pre-upper prosthesis having all kinds of thoughts about what foods I might try with teeth in my top gums.
- I admit now, 2 years on, that some of those foods were just not a success.
- You see, as it was explained to me by my lovely Nurse, Cate, my mouth has more inside it than a ‘normal mouth’ and it cannot do all that it did.
- My prosthodontist had added a partial denture of a tooth on each side to hook into my remaining natural teeth on the bottom and this helps hugely.
- Some meals I tried and could eat (and still do) are above, even though the hot meals are likely to be over 2 nights.
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- Leanne reached out to meet too.
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- Met fellow blogger Sanch for morning tea
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- Meeting up with Kirsty
Keeping up appearances…was very important.
- This trend went right into 2019.
- In 2020 I do this occasionally.
- But in between treatments, visits to Sydney for cancer checks and more, dressing well and with purpose was/is very important.
- More important than everything was I was finally able to (and definitely wanting to) meet up with friends again. Yay.
There it is. Snapshots to help me remember what life as a head and neck cancer patient was like in October 2018.
Denyse.
Linking up with Leanne (whose image appears in this post!) here for Lovin Life Linky.
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