I had my last operation to remove cancer four months ago. This involved a four and a half-hour neck dissection operation followed two months later by twenty sessions of deep radiotherapy. That treatment ended three weeks ago. The radiotherapy broke the skin of my extensive wound that stretched from the forehead, around the ear, down one side of the neck to my shoulder, and across my throat to my Adam's Apple.
It left me in a great deal of pain and discomfort, with no taste, unable to digest or keep down food. It restricted my jaw movement and left me with a mouth as dry as a scorching desert. Since my radiotherapy ended, I have awakened each morning with a sore face, as if somebody had bashed me as hard as they could with a cricket bat at the side of the head during the night. Some long-term effects include an L-shaped neck wound from ear to Adam's Apple, and the inability to ever be able to grow a full beard again. And because the surgeon stopped cutting at my Adam's Apple, I was left with half a double chin (which is twice as ugly looking as having a full double chin).
On the good side, I am still alive and kicking, my pain lessens daily, and since my neck- dissection operation, I am two and a half stone lighter in weight (down from 16 stone in my birthday suit to 13 and one-half stone).
I still experience throat restriction, an aching jaw bone, and a voice, which has still not regained its full strength. However, as I have had no singing practice for the past four months, I wanted to give it a go. So here is my first song that I did an hour ago in an attempt to get me back in the saddle. The voice is still a bit flakey but will improve I am sure.
Love and peace Bill xxx