Tracey's Fight Like A Girl

Tracey's Fight Like A Girl If you have been invited to join this page it because you are someone very special to me. Of course I am hoping I will be the exception to the rule.

As you know I have been diagnosed with cancer and have just started treatment. I have a very good prognosis but it is a pretty brutal treatment regime
I will be having weekly chemo and daily radiation treatments for 7 weeks. The first 2 weeks are expected to be pretty cruisy with minimal side effects but from week 3 things are going to get tough
It is for this reason I have started this page to keep you all updated as I may not be able to talk and will have very little energy. But just in case.

' Warrior Princesses "Thanks Bernadette for taking me along to the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation Appreciation Night.Such a...
26/11/2024

' Warrior Princesses "

Thanks Bernadette for taking me along to the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation Appreciation Night.

Such an interesting night hearing about new research, sharing stories and how our donations are put to work.

Bernadette is a breast cancer survivor after a diagnosis in 2013 and has been by my side since day 1 sharing personal insights and tips to help my journey ❤️

Update..Photo of scar tissue attached. Looks like a spear head..Hard to believe its almost 1 year since I sat in the Dr...
22/10/2024

Update..
Photo of scar tissue attached. Looks like a spear head..
Hard to believe its almost 1 year since I sat in the Dr's office and got the diagnosis. What a wild ride.

I had my 6 month check up yesterday and overall things went pretty well. I had another nasal endoscopy which in layman terms is a camera up the nose and tracked down the throat. No signs of any more tumour and everything has healed really well with minimal scar tissue. I have a small spot on the roof of my mouth - which has been bothering me for a while. The Dr couldn't see it last time but managed to find what I was talking about this time with the camera. Hopefully sending me through a pic. He believes 100% it is scar tissue and nothing to worry about. It just feels like an ulcer and only flares up towards the end of my meals. It is definately improving though. I also potentially have some minor Radiation Induced Fibrosis which again, in layman terms, is inflammation and damage to the soft tissue in my jaw. This is unfortunately not something that will likely go away and could worsen as times goes on. I just need to keep stretching my jaw or I could develop difficulties opening my mouth - now thats something I would really struggle with. My jaw gets a little sore sometimes and makes a weird squelching kind of noise but I can live with that. Now I know why cancer patients jokingly all Radiation - the gift that keeps on giving.

My taste buds I reckon are probably at about 75%. I still cant taste chocolate, sweet things are hit and miss, pepper is not my friend nor are many spicy things - I've become a real wimp when it comes to chilli and curry which breaks my heart. My salivary glands will never recover and are working at maybe 50% so dry mouth is an issue. Forget peanut butter ! Cakes, unless they are really moist are challenging as is toast and bread rolls. I can eat them, but its hard to swallow. I need to drink regularly as my mouth gets sore when its dry.

So with all of this I haven't put any weight back on. I haven't lost any either though. I suppose in summary - food just isn't quite as good as it used to be. But hey, small price to pay.

My energy levels are pretty good but strength isn't what it used to be. Time to work on that now. With the weather getting warmer I will be getting back in the pool.

Next check-in 3 months

FU Cancer - I kicked your arse !!!Got the awesome news today it's all gone. I have a slightly sore jaw (likely to be fi...
22/07/2024

FU Cancer - I kicked your arse !!!

Got the awesome news today it's all gone.

I have a slightly sore jaw (likely to be fibrosis) and still have that annoying sore spot in my mouth. My taste I reckon is about 80% back. Sadly - though much better for my health - my sweet has not recovered as well. Chocolate is awful as are most lollies. Don't even get me started on how bad soft drinks taste. Though I guess this could also be seen as a positive result. My weight has stopped dropping and I am maintaining which is great. Under Dr's instructions I put on a bit before treatment started so all up have dropped about,19kg. Haven't been this size for a very long time. I feel fantastic. Not as tired, my stamina is good - just need to build up my strength again. My hair has started to grow back - CURLY! Thanks Julie for pointing this out lol.

I am still going to be up and down for the next 6-12 months as my body recovers from all the crappy drugs and radiation but the bad days are less and less. Some days I get tired very easily but I will just keep listening to my body and acting accordingly.

I will have quarterly check-ups where I get the camera up the nose and down the throat but unless something changes - no more of that awful radioactive crap pumped into my body.

I cannot thank you all enough for your support and encouragement over the last 8 months. Sharing this with you and knowing you have had my back has been such a source of inspiration.

Watch this space - there is a celebration being planned... just when it's a little warmer ❤️

28/05/2024

Had my oncologist meeting yesterday and not the results I was hoping for...

The tumour on my tonsil has completely gone but there are residual cells on the lymph node.
Dr says it is absolutely nothing to worry about - the radiation is still doing its job. We are going to do an ultrasound for peace of mind then rescan in 3 months.

He was actually quite happy with the results - I guess cos he's not the one with this horrible thing. He actually said most would say "all clear," cos it's that's small but he is being super cautious. And that it's not unusual to take a little longer.

I haven't read the full report yet it's just taking a while to digest this news.

14/05/2024

9 days to go until my Petscan and 13 until I get the results. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. My oncologist is super confident - though I guess he has to be. He has told me it is possible there may be some random cancer cells but that's ok cause the radiation is still raging through my body. We would just rescan in another 3 months. Easy for him to say - it's all the waiting that is so hard. Hopefully we don't have to go down that path.

I still have the tiniest lesion in my mouth and have an ulcer on my tongue that comes and goes.. I've lost about 16kg in total - most of which I needed to anyway..lol.. I am getting through about half of my meal before the pain kicks in. The dogs have learned very quickly Mum always has leftovers. The dry mouth is awful. Especially waking up during the night. I try to constantly be sipping water. But waking up 5 times to go to the toilet is not great either. My hair is quite thin and I have a very weird undercut - the hair loss is from the radiation though not the chemo
Aah Radiation - the gift that keeps on giving..

My taste is coming back really well. Chocolate , lollies, pepper and spicy are a no go. My nephew Colin made a sticky date with caramel sauce and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've eaten in 6 months. Tonight I could taste tomato sauce for the first time. I guess that's because it's so full of sugar and my sweet seems to be coming back last.

I've been back at work - 3 days per week - and going really well. A little tired after dinner but ok really. Monday I was chopping wood at home ! Still taking it easy though and listening to my body. But super happy with energy levels.

This weekend I have entered my first dog show this year. Just taking Rogue this time. Hoping the judge doesn't make us run too much otherwise I might have to Tapout for someone standing ringside..❤️

Check-up today with the dental oncology team. Another tick of approval and discharge.She said I am miles ahead of where...
19/04/2024

Check-up today with the dental oncology team. Another tick of approval and discharge.

She said I am miles ahead of where I should be both in terms of the condition of my mouth and my taste. Some people are 6 months out and still no taste. Spicy is still a bit away as is sweet but she said "you are very early days. The radiation has cooked you and is still raging so having any taste is amazing'". I do have some slight recession on one of my teeth but she said it's only minor and has given me some cream for it.

She also said in 10 years the only time she has seen lost teeth ( which is supposedly a common side effect) is in uncared for mouths. So if I keep up the brushing, the flossing and 6 monthly checkups I'll have no problems. That's a huge relief.

So that's it for check-ups. Just waiting until the 23rd for the Petscan.

15/04/2024

Today marks the halfway mark of my 12 week recovery.

The dietician said I'm doing amazing and they don't need to see me anymore. Unless I have questions/concerns about anything.

The radiation oncologist said I have had the best response to treatment he has ever seen and my attitude and determination he has never seen anyone so positive. Apparently there is no award for it though. I saw one of the radiation team and said his and got a hug as she was going past
Then I heard her telling the others "Tracey's here" and my little team all came out to say Hi. I have been totally overwhelmed with how supportive they have all been - it actually felt like they really cared
I still have a small lesion on the roof of my mouth which is causing me a lot of grief but he said it's tiny. Everything else he said is fantastic. So he is booking my Petscan for 6 weeks and says he doesn't need to see me until after that.

So I'm pretty stoked with all of that.. Still can't taste sweet and spicy hurts but otherwise I am eating nearly everything as per normal - just not as much - I'm going to try and stay at this weight as I feel it's a healthy one for me.

First day back at work today too..Yay ! My team were amazing and were constantly checking in on me. I feel fantastic and not tired at all so looking forward to picking up a few more shifts.

05/04/2024

This has been a week of food trials..

Firstly though ,- I feel fantastic ! Still have a sore spot on my tongue and at the back of mouth but I feel they are improving slightly.

Sugar is still a no go, as are chocolate and lollies and chips ( have to chew them too much so they are hard to swallow - and I couldn't taste the salt).
So far this week I have tried :

Hot Chocolate ✔️
Chicken Pesto Penne ✔️
Spaghetti and meatballs - jury is still out
Not sure if I had too much or the tomato sauce burnt my mouth
Pad Thai ✖️ too spicy
Leek and Potato Soup (bought one) ✖️ too peppery
Cheesels ✔️. Just
Chicken Noodle Soup ✔️
Grilled fish ✔️
Vegemite ✔️
Cheeseburger ✔️
Chicken Kiev ✔️ few mouthfuls of Dave's
Toast ✖️
Bread ✔️ slowly and in small bites
Kuay Teow ✔️
Fried Rice ✔️
Jo's homemade quiche ✔️✔️

The nutritionist is over the moon and can't believe how much taste I have back already. Hopefully this continues.
Not eating a lot so am still supplementing with my Ensure drinks when needed. 237mls and it has nearly 500 calories. They have every nutrient you need , you could actually live on them.

Off to Robe next week to see Roz and Chris ( and try some Crayfish that Chris catches). Then I have a catch-up with both oncologists,- radiation and chemo , the Dietician and the dental specialist ( radiation does awful things to your teeth)

And the most exciting news of all - back to work !!! Only a few days and short shifts to see how I go. I have missed it so much...

1 month recovery down 2 to go before I get the scan to see if treatment worked....

Yay.. back at last..Missed my footy family
29/03/2024

Yay.. back at last..Missed my footy family

29/03/2024

4 weeks post treatment..

I think I'm tracking pretty well. None of the specialists can give you much in the way of timeframes and everyone is so different.
The main consensus seems to be taste should start to come back after 1-2 months.

So where am I at.
Dry mouth is a challenge so I make sure I have a drink handy at all times. The fatigue is quite debilitating. I seem to manage about 1 hours of doing something before I need to rest. Just a matter of listening to the body but I'm trying to do a little more every day. The roof of my mouth has one sore spot that is taking a while to get better.
I have had the awful nausea a bit but find if I supplement what I'm eating with the ensure drinks I feel a lot better. Clearly just need the calories.

In terms of taste it's really weird. I have zero taste for anything sweet - even straight sugar off a spoon has no taste. I guess it's not going to be a good Easter for me. I can taste eggs (yay for Dave's bacon and egg pie), lemon cordial, Weetbix, rice bubbles , vanilla and strawberry. I can't eat curry yet it burns my mouth and I can taste some soups.

All up I'm pretty happy with where I'm at. We are heading down to Robe for a break in a week then I'm gonna try a few days a week back at work.

22/03/2024

Breaking news !!!

After a week of eating a couple of spoonfuls of normal food every meal supplemented by Sustagen and 2 whole days of eating only normal foods - albeit soft - I just removed my feeding tube !

My throat is not sore at all. A very small section of my soft palate and side of my tongue is about a 3/10 on the pain scale - only after I've been eating for a while.

I'm eating small amounts more frequently. So far Weetbix, Rice Bubbles, enchilada and Tuna Mornay. They all tasted almost like they should. I still don't have any sweet and can't eat anything spicy but this early in the piece I am over the moon

I'd forgotten what my face looked like without tubes all over it..

18/03/2024

Week 1 of what is deemed official start of recovery. Dr's say the first 2 weeks post treatment are the worst and now recovery starts

Visit with Oncologist who was amazed at how well my skin has reacted to the radiation treatment. He said mine is the BEST he has ever seen and I would be in the top 5-10% for sure. He jokingly aid he would like to take some skin sample for genetic markers to see if there is anything of note - by way of background he is a research scientist

My feeding tube is still in - my choice. Its really hard to eat a sufficient amount given everything just tastes so awful and I have limited salivary production. Its just much simplere to get the required nutrition using the tube. My pain is pretty minimal. The side of my tongue flares up a bit if I have been talking too much (which you wouldn't think would be an issue). My throat is a little sore but nothing I need pain relief for and does not stop me eating or drinking. The nutritionist has recommended I start with just 1/2 teaspoons of something before each meal. Nothing that needs a lot of chewing - so no meat or bread. Poor Dave would starve. Going to start with some pasta/rice/jelly/icecream/custard - that kind of thing and see how I go.

Overall they thing I am doing great so that was really good to hear. I feel super positive and looking forward to what the next 2 weeks bring hopefully a bit of taste...

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