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BBP developed tongue cancer. This is his update
6 years later!
May 2005 (Six Years Later)
Having recently completed a beginner’s
course on computers, I was at home casually
browsing the oral cancer web pages when I
came across www.rdoc.org.uk. Clicking onto
it, I began to read some of the patients reports
of their experiences. I was quite surprised
to see a report with the same initials as
myself being BBP! So, of course, I clicked
on to find out astonishingly that it was my
own story which I had forgotten I had written
about, over six years ago. Much has happened
since.
Following the shock and upset of being diagnosed
with oral cancer back in October 1998, and
then having the brachytherepy radioactive
treatment at Cookridge Hospital, Leeds, I
continued with my monthly check-ups, then
held at Bradford Royal Infirmary. Two years
on down the line, at an appointment with my
own local dentist in Heckmondwike, a really
nice chap who had actually found my original
problem, I was persuaded to take part in the
trials of a new product, OraScan. It is a
3 component system. One component is a flavored
1% toluidine blue solution. The other two
are pre- and post-rinse solutions consisting
of flavored 1% acetic acid which is a sour
tasting. It shows up any sores, ulcers or
other problems. My mouth, of course, showed
up a problem where the brachytherapy pins
had been inserted; this caused my wife and
I great anxiety. I was referred back to the
hospital where it was decided to keep a close
watch on me, in case there was something there.
Hopefully, it was the scar tissue showing
a reaction. Then as the months ticked away
I was given a specially made up concoction
known as “knox medicine” to resolve
the soreness. After trying that I had a course
of small tablets, which were allowed to dissolve
slowly under the tongue. Then I tried a thick
paste “Adcortyl” which seemed
very good , but a little awkward to use. But
it didn’t get better. Then came the
bombshell, at my check-up appointment at the
maxillofacial department at St. Lukes Hospital,
Bradford, it was decided to carry out a biopsy,
there and then! This was now October, 2002,
four years to the week of my original diagnosis.
Worse was yet to come when the results were
made known to me the following week at Bradford
Royal Infirmary. The cancer had returned with
a vengeance!
I remember feeling devastated, numbed with
shock, bewildered, as it was explained to
me that, due to my having had the radioactive
treatment four years earlier, it now complicated
matters and I now faced a serious operation,
involving my face, neck, shoulder, wrist and
thigh. After several visits to different hospitals
for blood tests, x-rays and MRI scans, I was
given the date for entering hospital; it was
to be December 18th, 2002, my birthday! I
certainly won’t forget that one.
The next 7/8 days were just a blur. Never
in my life have I felt so down, so utterly
defeated, dejected, defenceless. I’ve
tried but I just cannot explain or put it
into words, and of course at the time I had
the tracheotomy halting any verbal contact.
The morphine numbed and made things bearable,
but the one thing I am sure about is that
those wonderful doctors, nurses and staff
at Bradford Royal Infirmary, brought me through
an extremely traumatic experience; they all
so excelled in their jobs. Having endured
the 11 hour facial, neck throat, shoulder,
wrist and thigh operation, it became my ambition
to go home. So I was really pleased when they
released me 2/3 days early, and allowed me
to see the new year 2003 in from home.
During the last few days in hospital
I took to writing a verse, it reads as follows
I dreamt the worst nightmare, that one could
ever dream
My life appeared short, or so it seemed
Struck down with an illness, with uncertain
cures
To face a future, of which nobody knows
The strength of my wife, my family and friends
Persuading me that surely, I’ll soon
be on the mend
The dreads the apprehensions, the suspicions
the fears
The tricks the mind plays, the thousands of
tears
In the dead of the night, why does one think
the worst
Waiting for daylight, to bring an end to the
curse
The length of each day, seems like eternity
Hoping and waiting, for someone to visit me
The half- hourly callers, go on their way
so quick
Now I’m alone again, with just my wounds
to lick
Roll on tomorrow, maybe I’ll get the
all clear
And leave all these patients, with their own
doubts and fears
Good luck and God bless, may the sunlight
soon break
And steer all you good people, through your
own heartache
The nurses will tend you, with patience and
kind
And soon you’ll feel better, with the
comfort you’ll find B.B.P.
The following weeks and indeed months passed
with my learning to eat, drink and talk again,
and to carry out physical and oral exercises
with the help of my long suffering wife. At
this point I must show my gratitude and again
thank my wife Sandra, who has lived through
this six year period with me, and also my
son Darren, his partner Helen, and my beautiful
three year old Grand-daughter Laura Mary.
Looking back, I can’t believe how well
I’ve done, I’m eating and talking
virtually as before, and I feel good apart
from the obvious aches and pains. My hospital
checkup appointments are now four monthly
at the maxillofacial department at St. Luke's
Hospital, which is staffed by a lovely friendly
team who always, with kindly words, make these
visits as pleasant as they can.
I hope my updated story will not upset anyone;
I have tried not to be too graphic in my description.
I wish anybody facing a similar ordeal, very
good luck. Think positive, knowing that you
have the very best medical teams with you.
My own special thanks go to the skills of
the theatre teams, the specialists, nursing
and administration staff, and anyone else
concerned at Bradford Royal Infirmary and
Bradford St. Luke’s to whom I remain
sincerely grateful. B.B.P.
Return to BBP's story from the
beginning...
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