Head & Neck Cancer Support Network

 Laughter as medicine

“You can’t lie to radiologists. They can see straight through you.”

Okay, that’s a weak joke and you've heard it before but your lips turned up at the corners, didn’t they? You couldn’t…

Dunedin member Sue McDonnell who had tongue cancer a year ago was offered hyperbaric oxygen treatment in Christchurch to help heal the recurring ulcers in her mouth. HBO is usually given to head and neck cancer patients who need dental extractions but it is also good for other problems with healing. There is more information under the article.…

The above picture comes from the Macmillan website. It doesn't relate directly to this post but might tease the mind to figure out some controllable causes of cancer. 

Whether a patient, family member or friend, finding a perspective on cancer is always going to be…

The troubled Southern DHB has appointed new managers to replace others who have left.…

Responding to patients' post treatment concerns

As I…

Why do some GPs charge so much more than others? It's all to do with a faulty funding formula which both major parties have promised to fix. Looks as if they still don't get it. We asked one of our members, Dr Andrew Miller, to comment. 

How you ever wondered why some general practices charge adults $18 and others charge anywhere from $35-65?. Well it's because the general practices are given different levels of government subsidy based on a historic…

A few weeks ago we had a post containing pics of animals we acquired to help us get through treatment. We also have pets of the past that have given people pleasure as they travel through this head and neck cancer-affected life. Here are some beautiful pet pics I could not fit in last time.

Here are Molly's beloved dogs, Frostie and Petey.…

After my cancer treatment three years ago I was living alone in a new town, looking for ways to give back and to connect to my community. Like plenty of cancer survivors and carers before me I volunteered to help at the local Hospice. 

What  sticks in my mind about my Hospice volunteer stint is a conversation I heard during the three-day orientation course. We were addressed by a spiritual adviser. This’ll be good, I thought. I love a bit of philosophising. After…

A constant annoyance in reading through reports for this column is the tendency of so many writers to use terminology that can likely be interpreted only by a minority of experts. Coming from a profession that insisted any writing be understood by the average, literate 12-year-old, it’s an annoying…

Mental health has featured this week as political parties made promises to provide funding, and there was suicide prevention day on Sunday.  National Party MP for Tamaki, Simon O'Connor made a mistake when he seemed to equate suicide and euthanasia, which earned him a rebuke from PM Bill…

This weeks Guest Editor is the Network Chair, Diana Ayling, these are her Notes from Mill Island

Cancer. The very word is intimidating, and strange. What does it actually mean when they tell you, "you have life threatening cancer."? It means you are growing some mutant, and dangerous cells that intend to grow structures which will prevent vital aspects of your bodily functions to continue. So really,…

It was good to see two new members at our meeting this morning: Susan and Kevin, both from Northland and both receiving radiotherapy here in Auckland. 

Dr Kim Gear was unable to attend but we discussed the dental situation at some length. This is an ongoing project of ours with the next step to hear from Kim about her "survivorship" hospital and my intention to follow up a suggestion that I contact the Dental Association. 

We talked about the election year promises…

Radiation and chemotherapy remain the first line of attack against head and neck cancer – unfortunately they don’t always work and surgery becomes a necessity.  Even there though technology continues to provide major advances with robotic surgery looking good. The article below is a…

Congratulations to our 100th website member, Emma Wilkins of Staffordshire.  We are very pleased that our site has gained so much traction after only 10-11 months. Most of our discussion is over on our closed Facebook group, but the website is doing well too, in terms of viewer-and membership. 

Welcome also to our 101st member, Mere Manning of Napier. Remember that you are all more than welcome to comment under our blog posts or join our forum. 

To Auckland…

We published Greg's story some time ago. It has been a popular post and has now been updated with the latest news and a new photograph of Greg on his farm. This picture shows the side of his face on which the jaw was replaced.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rarer form of head and neck cancer. Therefore, I hope people out there, searching for someone who has experienced the same thing,  will be interested to to read this account. It was written by Greg's…

People talk about rescue dogs and SPCA kitties but you can turn this concept on its head. Dogs and cats can rescue us when we are at a low point after treatment. 

I asked our Facebook group to share their pet pics to see how true this theory is. There were so many responses that I can eke out two Friendly Fridays from them. 

First up is Diana's sock-stealing cat Gina. Gina's a rescue cat but seems to have brought a lot of mirthful embarrassment to the household due to…

Thursday, 7 September, 9.30 - 11.30 at Domain Lodge

On the agenda

• Update on dental issues and recommended dentists
• The Swallows book full…

We were told at the last Auckland meeting that head and neckers were eligible for one episode of care by specialist dentists after treatment. In Auckland there is a service that spans ADHB and CMDHB called Oral Health with clinics at Greenlane, Middlemore and elsewhere. Aucklanders, as I have said before, have…

The costs of cancer drug research and consequent cost of treatment is fairly obvious and of course there are opportunities for someone to profit from the industry.  Looking at it all from an investor point of view rather than a medical one can provide a whole new (though not necessarily…