Day Six - 28th December 2011

So we start again today, have woken up and definitely feel the tumour has reduced in size? Not sure if my mind is playing games with me, or is the healing process from Aimspro starting to kick in, has the radiation therapy started to make inroads already - pretty f'ing cool if they have all started working!!

anyway, bought down to earth by my visit to Dr. Boyes-Varley, who tells me my mouth has healed really well and apart from an ulcer at the bottom side of the inside of my right gum nothing spectacular to report, good news at the moment, no mouth thrush, apparently that is not very pleasant so we'll keep that at bay if we can thank you!! he then proceeds to tell me that the tumour will feel smaller as the swelling in my mouth has gone down significantly from the surgery, damn and there I thought this might all be over next week!!

Right, so off to the Oncology Clinic for my 11:15 appointment, arrive and man it is busy!! Wasn't expecting that, anyway, quick x-ray as I haven't been in for four days and treatment done, all over in 15 minutes. I then have an appointment with the Oncologist, Prof. Donde, he is an interesting character, but I like and trust him, so we go through the following;

Taste ok?   Check
Skin ok?    Check
Saliva ok?  Check
Mouth ok? Check

Overall, he is very pleased making good progress with minimal side effects so far, ok I know what your thinking its only been a week, but I get the impression he was expecting something? he, as I do thinks the tumour has reduced, in fact quite a lot? So is it the radiation treatment - of course - he tells me that the treatment is very effective, but is it also Aimspro, who knows, but I guess it might be helping in terms of where I am in terms of side effects, I have lost another kg in weight so down to 102kgs, think I can afford to lose it at the moment!!

I leave the Oncology Centre and feel a new bounce in my step, more positive than I have been previously and feel that I am winning, in fact I feel GREAT!!!

Everybody says it and I believe it to, that to beat this disease, illness whatever you want to call it, you have to be tough mentally, think positive, fight and tell yourself that whatever you go through it's better to be alive, so don't give up and I have no intention of doing that, even if in the next few weeks my new found positiveness gets challenged again and again, as I know that I will come out of this the other end, stronger, tougher and with an amount of humility that I am thankful that I am not in the position of some of the desperate people I have seen over the past week or so, they are the real hero's, I don't know how they do it, but it keeps me going and wills me to get over this. I see one older lady most days, who looks like she has taken an absolute beating from this horrid illness and yet she quietly comes in to the centre, holds her head proudly (and why shouldn't she), speaks softly and doesn't want to be a burden, she is an inspiration and I feel so desperately for her - I truly hope she kicks the arse out of whatever cancer she has..........

Anyway, I have had a good day