Author Archives: Dani Akrigg

More ammunition Yesterday the BBC reported was some excellent news about a drug trial for head and neck cancer that was advanced, had recurred or had spread. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50507069 In a trial, pembrolizumab kept head and neck cancers at bay for an average of two years – five times longer than under chemotherapy. The patients alsoContinue reading “Immunotherapy”

Today I woke up to this The day proved to be a Shepherd’s Delight not a warning. The sun shone and it certainly made me feel alive. Time to get out of this pit of indolence and get fit again. I used to run. Nothing serious since that London Marathon more than ten years ago,Continue reading “Getting Fitter”

Mooching around the internet, as you do, I found this. It’s one of many articles from USA hospitals. Quality of life is so important especially as so many younger people are being diagnosed, cured and living for many years with the sequels of radiation. Then I found this So disappointing. We can only hope thatContinue reading “Proton Therapy. The future”

I have bullied Stan into growing a moustache So we are crowdfunding for MacMillan Cancer care You can donate here if you fancy https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stan-akrigg Day 1 Day 7 Day 14 Day 21 Last Day Stan has decided he might keep it….Grrrrrrrr. Looks like I’ll have to bribe him to shave it off. Fund is nearlyContinue reading “Fundraising The Moustache”

I am now nine months post treatment and on two month check ups split between the surgeon and the oncologist. On my latest visit I asked about checking my thyroid hormone levels and my carotid arteries. Radiation to the neck can destroy thyroid tissue and 50% of people need thyroxine therapy so monitoring is advisedContinue reading “Onward and Upward”

Since then Stan and I have visited his mum and his children and grandchildren. We upgraded our camper in February to a bigger new mobile home so that our collie Bracken can come with us in comfort. We visited the Malvern Autumn Show and walked three miles there and back and I felt comfortable withContinue reading “This summer”

Here is a list of the drugs I got through. Some are from my own team and some I got myself from MacMillan Community advice: Things for my mouth: Biotene mouthwash is nice and soothing Gelclair and Caphasol helps mightily with the mucositis A Benzydamine mouthwash called Difflam is a good numbing agent before youContinue reading “Drugs”

Five weeks later there are a lot of people in the consulting room again and I am pitched into the dark again as I’m told that the PET/CT shows an 8mm hotspot and they need to biopsy but everybody tries to reassure me that they have never had a failure at this stage, especially asContinue reading “Results and a hiccup”

I have to add a few words about support here: The MacMillan nurses have been absolutely stupendous in propping me up. Both teams at the Singleton and in Carmarthen have been exceptional in their care. My brilliant daughter, Cat, has Skyped me from Berlin and sent me encouraging messages throughout. When I couldn’t face anybodyContinue reading “Support”