Wednesday 30th May 2007.

Here is my latest update, it is now 2 yrs since I started and finished the radiotherapy treatment and today I went for my usual check up at the hospital.

Over the last few months it had got to once every three monthly checks but today after the doctor had checked with the mirror he said that people who get my kind of cancer if it is going to return it's usually within the first 18 months and seeing that I had got to 24 months and things were still looking great that he was really pleased with my progress he was going to change my check ups to one every four months. :-))

I'm not saying everything is back to 100% "normal" before the cancer and treatment but as I have heard often what is "normal"? The normal for me now is that I still have to drink plenty as long as it's not fizzy, if I don't my throat gets really dry, I also still have to be careful with foods that have a high acid content, eg: tomatoes, spicey food, onions (unless they are cooked well) I can't eat spring onions or pickled onions at all which is one of the downsides as I used to love them, if I do eat anything too spicy I pay for it the following few days after I have eaten it, with a sore throat and sometimes a croaky voice depending what I have eaten but on the whole I can eat various foods quite well now, one other thing that is still with me which I don't mind, is I still have what looks like a wide tan line on my neck from the radiotherapy that shows more in winter when the rest of my neck and face are pale then in summer but I don't care, I love it, as it is my recovery line!

I shouldn't think I'll be updating anymore unless there's something to report and if all keeps going well then I shall give a little update when I reach the 5 year mark which is when the hospital will discharge me for the final time.

I hope this little journey of mine has helped someone.

To anyone that has to go through this, my thoughts and prayers are with you and one thing I'll never forget that one of the doctors told me when I was first diagnosed and that was "You're going to have to be strong".

So stay strong and you'll get through it, I promise.