Timeline - full overview from being diagnosed to being given the all clear!

Hi there... here's a full overview of the timeline that my darling hubby and I endured from the first day he got diagnosed with cancer.  Its been a long and tough road but finally it was well worth it!!!

February 2016 - New Zealand
	First noticed a lump in Dave’s neck!!
Tuesday 23	Visited local GP : might be an enlarged gland due to all the virus Infection’s of recent months!!  Keep an eye on it!
Monday 29	1st Ultrasound – nothing reported.
March 2016
Thursday 3	2nd ultrasound and FNA under ultrasound – result : consistent with Lymphadenitis
March 2016 – Re-located to Australia
Tuesday 8	Registered with local GP and pointed out the lump still in neck.  Referral to Endocrinologist.
June 2016
Thursday 2	Visited Endocrinologist for biopsy.
Tuesday 7	Results phone call at work - its cancer!  But don't know what type of Cancer!
Wednesday 8	Negative for thyroglobulin.
Tuesday 14	ENT appointment - endoscope – chat.
Friday 17	A full body positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
Tuesday 21	PET scan results - yes cancer located in neck and back of tongue!
Wednesday 22	Tonsillectomy & biopsies from throat completed.  Now time to recover and heal.
Monday 27	Biopsies from tonsils and throat area all clear, happy dance!! J
Tuesday 28	Re-visit with Endocrinologist for more biopsies.
Thursday 30	ENT appointment - no results available.
July 2016
Friday 1	ENT call - confirming that it’s a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) but still not sure whether it was P16 negative or positive!
Tuesday 5	Meeting with Head & Neck Review Board:
	•   Speech Pathology Therapist •   Oncology - Clinical dietician •   Radiologist Radiation Oncologist’s •   Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon •   Radiation Oncologist •   Maxillofacial Surgeon •   Social Worker •   Radiation Oncologist
	also got confirmation that SCC, P16 positive in the neck lymph glands in the right side and while the primary site can not be confirmed the PET scan indicates that it may possibly be at the base of the tongue by the epiglottis.
Wednesday 6	Meeting with Teeth specialist - Maxillofacial team. X-Ray of Teeth. Confirmation that eight molars needed to be removed!! Gone into total SHOCK!
Friday 8	Freaked out after meeting with Maxillofacial team so re-met with Radio Oncologist to re-confirm and chat about teeth extraction etc.  Mind put to rest!
Monday 11	Teeth extraction and PEG insertion. Ended up only taking out four molars, HAPPY DANCE! Now time to heal!
Tuesday 26	Meeting with Medical Oncologist - to discuss treatment. CT Scan and Radiation mask fitted.
Thursday 28	Chat with chemo nurse.
August 2016
Thursday 4	Met with local Dentist for full check up and x-rays to have as a starting point going forwards.
Monday 15	1st session of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy scheduled five days a week for seven weeks. Chemotherapy (cisplatin) scheduled every three weeks x 3 sessions.
Friday 26	Two weeks in to treatment Dave started feeling really nauseous. Reflux symptoms became worse.
September 2016
Friday 2	Week three of treatment Dave felt awful, dehydrated, couldn’t speak much, mouth infection – thrush and ulcers.
Friday 9	Week four - 2nd session of chemotherapy - didn't happen as blood platelets too low. Hair falling out. Having to sleep in a lazyboy chair so to keep upright when feeding via the pump over night as reflux really bad.
Friday 16	Week five - 2nd session of chemotherapy - feeling really sick now. Still sleeping in lazyboy chair.
Friday 23	Week six… nausea symptoms getting worse.  Skin on neck starting to deteriorate due to the Radiotherapy.
Wednesday 28	Week seven - finding it really hard to swallow and talk now.  Fully dependant on using PEGGY.  Lots of nausea and vomiting.  Radio Oncology Registrar agreed to keep Dave in hospital for observation for a couple of nights and to be able to administer fluids via IV. Skin on neck now really sore, being treated with Flamazine and dressings.
Friday 30	Last day of radiotherapy, and feeling better to come home J Happy Dance again!! 3rd session of chemotherapy didn’t happen due to the timeframe being scheduled after the last of the radiotherapy.  Yay no more chemo!
October 2016
	Recovery phase… Not talking much… resting lots…going for little walks each day… but each day improving slightly.  Skin improving too.
Monday 17	Dave starting to feel better, started to sip on clear broth too and each day doing a slow walk for about 15 mins to get some fresh air and oxygen pumping around the body.
Friday 28	Week four of recovery - taste buds and appetite still not good.  Though still sipping on clear chicken broth.  Still in the lazyboy sleeping each night.
Novmeber 2016
Friday 4	Week five of recovery… small win… Dave now stopped feeding overnight and is back sleeping in bed.  All up I think seven weeks in total in the lazyboy chair! Still feeding via PEGGY during the day but off the pump and now using a syringe. Trying different types of soups and progressing to mashed potatoe and gravy. Finally stopped taking all the nausea and pain relief medications! Still feeling very lethargic and weak.
Friday 18	Week seven of recovery – taste buds slowley returning and also enjoying being back on the putting green for a little practice.
Friday 25	Week eight of recovery – started to eat a few more different things, fish and a little piece of lamb.
December 2016
Friday 2	Week nine of recovery – bad week, unfortunately Dave picked up a gastro bug L Dr recommended Dave to have a ultrasound on his tummy just to check things out.  All was good, thankfully!
Thursday 8	Visited the Radio Oncologist for final check up of the year... camera down nose/throat - all looked great - though loads of swelling could be seen. Vocal Chords looked good and in working order. Sign of thrush though inside the trachea area and throat. Voice rasphy due to swelling around vocal chords.
Friday 9	Week ten of recovery - still recovering from gastro bug - knocked Dave off his feet -  resting every day.  Nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea.
Friday 16	Eleventh week of recovery - on the improve again after gastro bug.  Started eating again.  Albeit very small portion sizes.
Friday 23	Twetlth week of recovery - eating more and often… weight rising again.  Taste buds improving.
Christmas Day	Dave managed to enjoy a little portion of Christmas lunch and pudding J
Friday 30	Thirteenth week of recovery - continuing to improve, eating more and gaining more weight… getting out on the golf course now too.
January 2017
Wednesday 4	Final PET scan, three months after end of treatment.
Friday 6	Fourteenth week of recovery - continuing to improve, eating more and gaining more weight… playing golf more, back with the walking group too.
Monday 9	D Day for results from PET scan!!!! WOW All clear from the cancer!!!! AMAZING… so elated, can't stop crying with relief!!  Oncology Specialist said to Dave to go away and live his life and to not think about it or dwell on it.  Enjoy life!!! So we will be doing, for sure!!!
May 2017
Thursday 11	First fourth month review after being given the all clear!!   ALL CLEAR again!!! Wahoo!!! Still some swelling in the throat area but this will go down over time.  Gaining weight which is good.  All in all very healthy.