The Swallows Australian Edition Magazine

Even on the Gold
Coast - Neil Raward
At 73 years of age I believed that I was bullet
proof, as I had never suffered any health
problems, except for a knee replacement in
2011. In February 2016 I noticed a lump under
my chin and immediately visited my GP. After
various scans and a biopsy by a ENT specialist,
I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell
Carcinoma of the left tonsil caused by the
Human Papilloma Virus. Now what did all this
mean? I had no idea of my problem or the
treatment that would follow.
I was referred to the Gold Coast University
Hospital (GCUH) to undertake further tests as
part of an ongoing Head and Neck Cancer
program. During this initial program, I was
subjected to further tests from the ENT team
and there were talks provided by speech
therapists and dieticians, after which I was
referred to a Radiation Oncologist and a
Medical Oncologist (35 sessions of
radiotherapy and seven sessions of
chemotherapy). I was still none the wiser of
what lay ahead as there was no one available
who could really tell me what all this meant and
what changes my body would undergo.
I will not go into great detail of the following few
months – the changes my mouth and throat
were undergoing ¬¬- was it a dream or reality?
Loss of saliva and taste, horrendous radiation
burns, being fed liquid through a stomach tube
for four months, the loss of 18kgs in weight,
being a social recluse – what more can a
human body take? Although, throughout the
treatment and recovery period, I remained very
positive of the outcome. My dreams were
rewarded in August 2016 when I was given the
all clear. Although I still have five years of
follow-up tests to be declared that I am in
remission.
I have always been a good communicator and
decided from the beginning that I was going to
keep my family and friends informed of the
treatment, the changes to my body and my
thoughts and feelings throughout the entire
ordeal. In the 12 months since I was first
diagnosed with the cancer I have produced 18
bulletins entitled My Journey which to date total
12,000 words and many photographs. Without
the support and care from my wife throughout
the program I believe that my recovery would
not have been as successful as it was.
The health professionals have used my bulletins
for lectures to university students, students
undertaking study for their Masters degrees
have requested copies and a compilation of the
bulletins into booklet form has been forwarded
to many patients about to undergo treatment for
throat cancer. I have recently completed a Head
and Neck Cancer Peer Support Volunteer
Program conducted by the GCUH which
hopefully will allow me to be a support to those
patients who are having difficulty in handling the
treatment program.
Many people who battle cancer do not confide
with friends regarding their treatment. Some
have spoken with me saying they wish that they
had handled things differently by being
forthcoming with their ongoing progress during
their treatment. This, they say, was to allow for
not sympathy but encouragement during their
treatment.
If any person would like a copy of My Journey
please contact me at neil.raward@bigpond.com
The document is there for all to read and
hopefully for those unfortunate enough to be
diagnosed with throat cancer to have an
awareness of what lays ahead.
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