Today i had the follow up for my ear infection. It's gone back to the original ear now GRRR!
Also had a hearing test which was interesting! Because i was in the sound proof boothe i was struggling to hear the difference between my tinnitus ringing & the beeps of the machine . I can hear well though apperently.... Huh?? Did you say something??
Had a new ENT guy who was FASCINATED by me. I think he just looked up my nose with his camera to satisfy his own curiosity! Cuz i wasn't there for anything like that! But, he did say i was doing a great job with my teeth
He said my ears will always be suseptable to infections thanks to the R/T.
Also, the Macmillan dietician came to see me while i was there. Don't know how she found out i was dropping in. She's pleased with my weight, but could do with an extra half a stone. Easier said than done!! I do practise what i preach but i'm happy with how i look!

Michelle
You look good to us
Dave and Susan

Chelle,
I had the same! The sound proof booth didn't stop me hearing the computer and I could.nt distinguish between bleeps and tinnitus either.
Evidently I am "down" on my left side but not enough to worry about,eh?
Anne

Hi Michelle,
From what I gathered from my angel- my treating doctor that there is a possibility of a certain amount of loss in hearing post radiation. They did the same test to me - but found me to be ok. I have had no problems with my teeth, hair or ears and touch wood - no infections. I guess that is more to do with the enviorment in our Country where pollution is rampart and one build up an immunity however sick one may be. Another reason the doctor cited was my daily running the 4/5 kilometres and working out at the gym for an hour, seven days a week. My weight is just right even though I am on peg tube and in fact I have been told by my doctor to mantain the same weight and not to put on anymore which is great as it really makes me look more atheletic then ever!
I have almost forgotten about my tryst with cancer and its best so to keep a healthy body and mind. To keep myself busy - I indulge in a number of things. Some are realted to cancer where I have 25 odd really needy kids who cannot even afford a meal a day - let alone the medicines. My wife and I take care of their needs as far as clothing, food, medicines and a bit of financial help to them and their families.I also do a lot of counseling to patients or would be patients who call me up and ask me to come over especially to the hospital and just be there with them for some time. I also teach Spanish to kids, who I do not charge anything and also to a batch of adult businessmen who I charge the earth. Finally I love biking and being the brand ambassador for Yamaha ( they could not imagine a guy with a hole in his throat and a tube in his stomach would actually take chances of bike dragging or racing ). They gifted me one of the top of the line bikes a 1000 cc Hayabusa which I drag every sunday morning and at other times join my two teenaged sons for a ride - each on our respective bikes (though their bikes as not as powerful as mine).
I really do not think I would have managed to do all these things which help complete a full life had the cancer not struck. I can now say, I have lived a full life with nothing that I have regreted of not having done. I recall a few days ago when a lady - a little older then I tells me that she feels so bad for me that i contracted the cancer at such a young life. She was pretty much shocked when I said there was no reason to feel bad as I have lived a life that most would not live in ten lifetimes or more.If I start on going in to the past and relate all that I have managed to do in the 42 years I was cancer free and the last seven that I was down with the same - the story could go on forever. I am penning my story and its never seems to end. I hope to finish it in another two months and my previous Company - Mercedes Benz have requested me if they could have the honor of releasing the book. How could I say to no to a Company, which has stood behind me like a rock right through my fight with cancer and still gives me the same respect as I used to get as the Head of sales for the Indian subcontinent. All the proceeds from the book will go towards a cancer trust I am setting up and will be purely for the needy poor children. I really want them to be happy and needed and luckily I have a number of friends, friends who have been through cancer and Companies to back up my building of the trust. Lets see how it goes.

Well - I guess I have gone on rambling - all because of a hearing test - but then Michelle - you are a person who really understands and gives a lot of encouragement to all.

Take care lovely lady,
Ananth

Good result really eh Michelle and not many can say a new man was so facinated that he wanted to look up her nose!

Ananth

Great to hear you are back on the up.

Angie

Wow Michelle, sounds like you had an interesting day. Did you walk away proud thinking of how good you are looking and feeling, you should!!
Ananth,
your story was great, how wonderful to read something so positive, I read it twice just to make sure I didn't miss anything, keep up the good work and I look forward in reading your book one day.
Regards Tracey

Just thought I'd add my hearing test story.
My doctor said that the radiation therapy probably just accelerated the aging process (he knew that a couple of my family members suffer from hearing problems without the cancer thing) and my reaction? Cheers Doc - just what I wanted to hear Never mind - life goes on!

Cheers - Pete

Thanks again guys!

Ananth, i do think that you're actualy Superman or something! Where on earth do you have the time to fit so much in??? You must be up at 5 and in bed by midnight! Can't wait til my staminas better. I'm struggling to work full time and keep house i'll get there though! Just you watch!

*lol* @ Angie. Trust you , unfortunately he wasn't the usual honey my regular ENT guy is!

Tracey, i feel really well now! Just can't wait for my hair to be at a decent legnth again. But i know, i know, thats so superficial whjen you think of the grand scheme of things!

Pete, just another of the "gifts" cancer springs on us! As i now say "s**t happens"!

Hi Chelle,
I have endured the scope on a rope/rat's tail probe in the nose half a dozen times or more times since diagnosis. The only good things for me are that they spray a mixture of battery acid and decongestant up the nose first and that clears the head wonderfully. The other good thing is that the scope can be hotwired to a video monitor and my wife get a chance to see parts of me that she otherwise would not see. Apparently she likes that sort of thing and there's no accounting for taste, is there?

My really good news is that in the panendoscopy last week, they could find no cancer down my throat and that the continuing problems I'm having with swallowing are probably the after effects of radiotherapy. Good news indeed.

Also (yes there is more) my own guardian angel Dr (she who referred me to the lump doctor) has today cut my medications. An anciliary benefit to this is that my wife will get a better night's sleep as I will no longer rattle when I roll over in bed.

Here's to PMA.

Best regards,

Robert WT

Robert,
When i went for my original biopsy i had a special 'up-your-nose-thingy' that cut a piece of my tumour away. The first time you could see nothings but a large veiny mass. & now i have tubes going off in all different directions. The problem is that post r/t i've some scarring up there and can feel it scraping against the wall of my nose!
Love your discription of the spray!
& great news on the swallow - to a certain extent!
All the best,
Michelle

Robert, I don't know how far down the line you are, my treatment finished May 19th 2005 and I had had problems swallowing, something got stuck and even water couldn't get past and this was due to scar tissue closing the sphincter muscle at the top of the oesephagus (easy for you to say...) However they gave me an operation which widened this muscle and things have become considerably easier after this, they did say I might have to have the op done 2/3 more times later as they cannot do it all at once as it is in a delicate area and one slip could cause problems. It's a fairly simple op and I had it on a Wednesday and was back at work the following Monday.
Regards
John

I have had two scopes in the last fortnight at two different hospitals.As I have said I am always happy to have these for peace of mind.The last one was uncomfortable though

I think I had a trainee doing the examination. The consultant thought that she should try the old fashioned way to look at the cancer site. The trainee held the end of my tongue with a piece of cloth, and then put a long dentists mirror in my mouth. I didn't think she was high enough and suggested I lower my seat, but she said that it would be OK. She then gripped my tongue and tugged really hard. After a minute or two the consultant asked if she could see anythig, and she couldn't, so I then had to have the tube up the nose. So that was double the discomfort. At least she couldn't see anything abnmormal, so I suppose it was worth it.