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 Home from surgery

Feel reasonably OK
Face is puffed up a lot
My head now looks like Brendan Foster from the film The Whale

Surgery 27 Nov

 It has gone well. I was up and about next day

Not sure how much was removed. May find out on Friday 

I now have a scar on my neck. That will be fun to shave around!

Physiotherapy and MRI

 Had a Physiotherapy session today
Gave me a few exercise to try and help loosen muscles etc in neck

Saw an MRI of the tumour which was quite a shock as its bloody huge. Hence only a few little movement's given rather than a full physio session
I can feel the lump on the side of my neck and its pushing the muscles which run to top of shoulder. Thats why I have pain in both places
Need this lump removed ASAP

Pre Surgery Assement

 Went to Cambridge University Hospital (CUH) (Addenbrook's) for Pre Surgery checks
All checks OK so OK for having my 6/7th surgery

Surgery is booked for 29th Nov 
With my new surgeon and apparently my previous surgeon and a third surgeon attending as well
So a triple tag team of surgeons 

Pain

 I have been in terrible pain the last few week's
The nerve injections made the pain worse than ever
Then amazingly things suddenly started to improve and most of the pain went away in the occipital nerve area

I still have a lot of pain in the neck and now top of shoulder which I think is pressure on the muscles from the tumour growth

The occipital nerve pain is at the moment under control

More Tumour Growth - Latest MRI Results

More Tumour Growth

Now approx 48mm x 49mm
So it has grown 1cm since last scan

The technical wording on the report

The heterogeneous T2 hyperintense patchy enhancing tumour in the left
neck, left lateral masses of the upper cervical spine, extending from the
petroclival region down to the level of C4 is unchanged in its superior
aspect at the level of the odontoid peg but continues to increase in size

At its inferior aspect. At the level of the C2 vertebral body, it has maximal transverse
dimensions of 49 x 48 mm (previously 39 x 35 mm at a similar level).
Medially, epidural tumour indents the thecal sac and minimally indents the
left side of the spinal cord. Its inferior tip is now at the level of the
C4 superior endplate (previously C3 inferior endplate)

MRI

Another MRI. Results in a few weeks 

Nerve block and Trigger point injections

Went to Ely hospital today to have a Nerve block injection and 3 trigger point injections
It was canceled from 2 months ago due to a Doctors strike
Lets hope it helps to stop the chronic pain as it has now been labeled

Follow the links for more info 
Nerve block injection
Trigger point injections
Chronic Pain

A few hospital visits this month

 Saw my new ENT Surgeon

First hospital visit to see my new Surgeon to discuss what next
He is planning an operation
He is Ok to leave it for a while so as we can have our summer holiday. I will see him again in the autumn
The tumour is about the size of a golf ball

Also saw a chronic pain consultant

They will be doing a Nerve block pain injection
Plus some physio and chronic pain education and self help classes
All to come over the coming month's

Latest MRI Results not good

There is tumour growth again in an area around C2/C3 on the left side
The radiation I had has not done its job unfortunately

Now in an area outside of the skull base team that I have been with from the start
Its a ENT team who are reviewing it and I will be seeing them in early June to find out what next

Its about the size of a golf ball

I have been having awful pain so have been put on a course of steroids which has helped

ENT Oncology appointment and MRI

Two appointments

Oncology Doc and MRI
Dr OK with things since radiation - carry on the pain meds

MRI standard thing - will have to wait for results

MRI Results

Just had the results of the last MRI

There is a slight reduction in size of the tumour which is good news