Cancer vet muses on complementary therapies

Our policy as a charity is to stick to tried and true cancer treatment but there are complementary therapies that might provide comfort and enhance health. Here is a personal attempt to clarify the somewhat murky field of alternative and complementary treatments....

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Surviving after head and neck recurrences

Feb 28, 2023 - anticipating 6th cancer surgery Tomorrow I go into the hospital for my 5th head and neck cancer op. It will be one of my smallest ops but I’m old now and I’ve had one huge surgery and three smaller head and neck ones (for non-cancer purposes)  since...

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A New Normal

A New Normal An interesting term I have run into during my cancer journey is the term ‘a new normal’. I have heard many times that things will ‘return to normal’ after MOHS surgery or similar dermatological procedures. A ‘new normal’ was a little different. Things...

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Tongue cancer: Nicky’s story

Nicky's story This is the beginning of Nicky's story which was published on stuff.co.nz in 2020. Hearing the very sad news that the legendary Eddie Van Halen passed away from throat cancer, I thought it timely to tell my story. In August, 2017 I developed a painful...

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Delay in diagnosis: Denyse

Denyse: My Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis. I now live in a New South Wales area called the Central Coast, an hour north of Sydney. Before we moved here in 2015, I had been instructed my then dentists to “clean more carefully” around the back of the bridge with 5 teeth...

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Delay in diagnosis: Anne

My HNC misdiagnosis January 2017 developed severe hay fever resulting in sore nostrils. A small lump then developed at end of septum and right nostril. Seen by GP and and prescribed antibiotics. Put on 2 further doses of antibiotics during February. Feb 15th taken by...

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Throat cancer: Liz’s story

Patient Story: Liz Gray  In The Beginning I was born and bred in Invercargill, am 61 years of age, never smoked and didn’t drink. I left high school and worked at a solicitor’s as a legal typist, married at 17 years of age and had three beautiful children, a son and...

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