As some of you may be aware, Margaret Faultless stepped down as Chair at our recent AGM. Those present expressed their gratitude for all she had achieved over many years, having been one of the founder members of the Charity. Fortunately she has agreed to continue as a Committee member.
As the new Chair, I look forward to working with other Committee members to continue our commitment to provide both support and social functions that I hope will be of interest to all.
Best Wishes, Sandra Levinge Â
Coming soonâŠâŠ
February 16th Shalford Village Hall Meeting at 3pm
Mr Charles Coffils and Mr. Stephen Rainbird have kindly agreed to give a talk on ,
We would like to thank Jackie Whiteley the Oralieve representative for attending our Shalford Village Hall meeting on the 19th January.
It was a very interesting talk discussing dry mouth problems following treatment. Members were able to raise their individual issues and receive some good advice. Free samples and instruction literature was available to distribute throughout the group.
( Jackie was generous and left us with some resources and testers so that we will be able to display leaflets and samples at the next meeting). For more information:
This yearâs Christmas Party was a great success.
The event was well attended by both members and members of staff. It was lovely to see everyone together again. Music was provided by Charlie and Jorge and a buffet by Committee members. There was a visit from Father Christmas and all in all a very festive atmosphere.
Many thanks to those who generously donated prizes for the raffle and to those who bought tickets. We managed to raise ÂŁ150 on the night which will help to fund some of next yearâs events.
Also, a special thank you to the Royal Surrey Social Club manager, John, for his help.
The Committee would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone the compliments of the Season and a very Happy New Year.
Some of you may already be aware that Boots the chemist and Macmillan are now working closely together. Some branches now have Macmillan information pharmacists who have had extra training from McMillan that covers more than offering advice to people with queries about their medication and side effects. They are able to signpost you to services and discuss ways to keep yourself healthy. If you do not want to go into a store you can book a video consultation. For more information:
I went into a branch to talk to one of the Macmillan beauty advisors who have received additional training from Macmillan to help people with beauty advice that may help you feel better about some of the physical side effects of cancer treatment. From changes in skin tone and texture to help to redefine brows and lashes they can offer you a free consultation at selected No 7 counters in Guildford, Farnham, Camberley and Staines. For more information:
Charity members joined forces with the St Pius Badminton Group and enjoyed a night out at the pantomime. This was a thoroughly enjoyable show. We all came away feeling we would sleep better knowing the giant had no interest in eating Jack, or anyone else for that matter, as he was a vegetarian. It warmed our hearts that he was also a Botanist and supporter of green issues!
Christmas sweets for the Staff at The Royal Surrey County Hospital
On 6th December a delivery of Christmas sweets was made on behalf of the Charity to thank Royal Surrey County Hospital staff in departments connected to our members. This included the Head and Neck Outpatients Clinic, the MaxFac OPD Clinic, Clandon Ward, Radiotherapy Department and ENT Theatres. This gesture appeared gratefully received. Â
We attended their School Christmas Fair 3rdDecember 2022
We are grateful to Dr Katie Wood who managed to arrange for us to collect voluntary contributions at the door for the benefit of our Charity.
Dr Wood and her daughters together with Charlie and Sandra were there to shake buckets at the entrance for the duration of the fair. With the generosity of those attending we were able to raise funds in excess of £500.00. This was a magnificent effort and many thanks to all those involved.
You may have chosen to visit this website because either you or someone that you know is concerned about head and neck cancer.
Early detection is important and increases the success of any treatments so please do not put off seeking advice from either your GP or dentist if you are concerned about changes in your neck and mouth.
If you are looking for information about the signs or symptoms have a look in our resources section.
The following link has information on how to check for signs of head and neck cancer yourself:
Everyone said parking was easy and they enjoyed the chance to catch up. We agreed some topics for the next couple of sessions so come and join us at 14.30 on 15/12/22. We have had to cancel our planned topic due to disruption of the train services that would make travel difficult for our session leader. We will be Christmassy instead!
Unfortunately our Group activities were forced into hibernation by Covid during 2020 and 2021. 2022 has seen a re awakening  of our Groupâs activities which we have attempted to make more varied and exciting. They are detailed elsewhere on the Website. This year we have welcomed some new and active members to the Group and we look forward to seeing more new faces in the the coming weeks and months. We plan to recommence our Thursday morning Head and Neck MDT Clinic coffee mornings however because it is on hospital grounds before we can start we need to catch up with the Hospitalâs statutory and mandatory training. Our monthly âdrop inâ afternoons are starting again on the third THURSDAY of each month and commence this month on the 17th. November. They are for New and Old Group members. We are now holding these meetings at Shalford Village Hall which has many advantages including being in walking distance of the Shalford Train station and there is a map showing the way there elsewhere on the website. The upcoming dates of these meetings, all of which will have a theme to the meeting, are: 17th. November  and 15th. December 2022 then 19th. January 2023., etc. All the meetings start at 2.30pm. We look forward to seeing many of you at these meetings. N.B.   Donât forget the usual Christmas Party on 10th. December at the usual venue of the Royal Surrey County Hospital Social Club in Gill Avenue Guildford at 2.00pm. RSVP please before 3/12/22.
We are always are happy to welcome people who are considering volunteering. Even if you only have 1 or 2 hours to spare every month or a few hours once or twice a year we have plenty of things to do.
âŠ.it could be fundraising, running activities at a group meeting, helping with our IT, adding to our links section, writing something for our stories sectionâŠ
if youâre interested please email us : info@headandneckcancer.life or, if you would like to see what we do and meet some volunteers please come along to Shalford Village Hall, Shalford. GU4 8BQ on Thursday 17/11/22 or Thursday 15/12/22 between 14.30 and 16.00.
On a wet and unusually windy Saturday in November we raised just over ÂŁ200 at the Cranleigh School Christmas Fair. Our thanks to all the people who came out and bought things from the stall. The Christmas chutney was our best seller this year. The money will be used for the Christmas Party and fund the hire of the Village Hall in Shalford for our new monthly meetings.
We have a range of events throughout the year. From large events such as our summer and Christmas parties to smaller groups and support to individual families. Many of the events are free and most are subsidised by our fundraising activities. We aim to make our events enjoyable and to enable people to meet with others who are on the same journey. Come and share stories, tips and feel part of things once again. We are serving refreshments in the hospital multidisciplinary clinic on Thursday mornings thanks to the generosity of the Guildford branch of Beaverbrooks the jewellers. They provide the tea and coffee as well as some of their staff.
They are brilliant supporters.
We have the events listed on a separate page. It is always helpful if you could let us know if you are coming to an event so we can notify you directly about any changes to our plans.
Get in touch: info@headandneckcancer.life
WE NEED YOU!! If you would like to join our committee or would like to be involved with an event we would be pleased to hear from you. We are always looking for people who would like to help with providing refreshments at the clinic at RSCH and anyone with IT skills. We are also able to provide experience for students seeking to apply for medicine or dentistry. Just contact us at: info@headandneckcancer.life
MacMillan a really useful resource for some of your questions.
If you want to ask about more detailed aspects of treatment and living with head and neck cancer the fantastic MacMillan Support Line is open to all navigating life with cancer. If you need someone to talk to call them on :08088080000. The lines are open 8-8pm.
You are always welcome to join us at Shalford Village Hall (Kings Road, Shalford, GU4 8BQ) on the third Thursday of every month usually 2.30-4.00 pm.more details about the talks and sessions are on the monthly meeting page of the website.
THERE ARE NO MEETINGS AT SHALFORD VILLAGE HALL IN JANUARY, JULY AND AUGUST.
Our AGM
We will be holding our Annual General Meeting at Shalford Village Hall at 3pm on 15/10/26.
If you canât make it you can always get in touch with us: info@headandneckcancer.life
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Free Exercise Classes are starting very soon on Thursday afternoons at the Surrey Sports Park. Please note these classes have been fully funded by the Second Chance Charity. We have a few spaces left so if you are interested please contact the Fountain Centre (details below) ASAP as the first class begins 24 th September.
RECENT EVENTS
A lunch time catch up event on 25/06/26 at The Cranleigh Golf & Country Club.
A special thank you to Jan for organising this very well attended luncheon event that was enjoyed by all.
We must also thank the chef , kitchen & waiting staff who provided a lovely experience in this heat !!!
Celebrating our fundraisers
On 24th June cream teas were enjoyed by all as we celebrated the Miller Familyâs success in raising ÂŁ1,040 pounds for our charity . We also would like to thank Jackie Whitely from Oralieve for attending and updating us on the new products available.
The Rural Life Living Museum Trip 9/05/26AVillage At War Event.
It was a beautiful day, the sun shone.The group enjoyed delicious cakes and tea provided by Matt and his team at the cafe. A thoroughly enjoyable trip with lots of interesting exhibits, talks and displays.
A hidden gem tucked away:Reeds Rd, Tilford, Farnham. GU10 2DL You can find out more info here: www.rural-life.org.uk
Raffle prize winner!
The winner of our recent raffle prize kindly donated by Bob sent us these photos of the fantastic day Len had with his brother.
A fantastic fundraiser on 21/02/26 and a big thank you from us all!
Andy Miller was diagnosed with cancer in August and has been under the excellent care of Katie Wood and her team at Guilford for the last 5 months. We were delighted to hold a fundraiser last Saturday to raise some money for Second Chance and all those affected by head and neck cancers. Well over ÂŁ2000 was raised which will be shared between Second Chance and The Teenage Cancer Trust. It was such a fun night including a darts championship, music, fancy dress and lots of laughter! Just a small way to say a huge thank you to the brilliant team at Guildford and all those affected by head and neck cancers!
Our forthcoming talks by professionals working in the field:
TBC
For details of our previous sessions please scroll just a little bit further!
Trips out and aboutand other news:
Christmas Fair Collection at the City of London Freemanâs School 29/11/25 The Second Chance Charity raised a grand total of ÂŁ621.00 this year at the City of London Freemanâs Christmas Fair. Our bucket shaking at the door team Jan , Mike & Dr. Katie Wood were all amazing. Jan needs a special mention as she somehow managed to juggle both a card machine and bucket shaking !!! We thank all the generous people who donated to our charity.
Christmas Chocolates âŠThank yous 4/11/25 On behalf of the Charity Sandra delivered tubs of chocolates to the following departments at the RSCH. Head& Neck Clinic OPD 8 Max Fac OPD Clinic ENT Operating Theatres Clandon Ward Radiotherapy Department at St. Lukeâs. The staff in all departments were appreciative of the gesture.
A.G.M. at Shalford Village Hall
We held our Annual General Meeting on 20/11/25 at 2.30pm.
âŠ.more details to follow âŠ..
Fundraising at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
A grand total of ÂŁ195 was raised at our Annual Christmas Stall on 4th November. We would like to thank everyone for their kind generosity and support. It was great to meet so many people and let them know more about the Charity.
Our visit to the Milestone Living History Museum, Basingstoke on Friday October 3rd
Thank you to everyone who attended our trip to the Milestone Museum. We had a lovely morning and it was good to have a catch up with hot chocolate drinks in the cafe afterwards!
We recently received a generous donation from Community Foundation for Surrey which will help us continue with our day to day activities and allow us to consider supporting some innovative projects. Our grateful thanks to them.
The High Sheriff of Surrey Awards 2024-25.
The High Sheriff of Surrey â Shahid Azeem DL presented awards to deserving members of the Community in March at Merrist Wood College near Guildford. The event was an opportunity to recognise members of the Community for their valuable work in the County of Surrey. Amongst them were staff from the police and Surplus to Supper who provided fantastic food for our Christmas party. Sandra Levinge was delighted to receive an award on behalf of the Second Chance support group in recognition of the work of the Charity and the contribution volunteers have made to organise events for people who have been affected by Head and Neck Cancer.
An afternoon by the bandstand on 20th July.
A lovely afternoon in the beautiful surroundings of Guildford Castle Bandstand Gardens. The Staines Brass Band had a varied repertoire of music enjoyed by all.
Dining Experience VE Day 80th Celebration
This was a unique event where people were able to try restaurant quality meals specifically prepared for people who might be experiencing eating difficulties with other people who understand the challenges following surgery or radiotherapy. We were fortunate to have been given an anonymous donation to fund the event for members and a guest. Our thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a useful and enjoyable event.
SOME OF OUR RECENT THURSDAY SESSIONS:
19/03/26 Lasting Power of Attorney talk by Sara Meers Legal.
It was a productive meeting with lively Q&A session.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so in the future. This can cover your health and care decisions or financial matters.
Having an LPA ensures that your wishes are respected, helps avoid confusion or delays, and provides peace of mind for you and your family. It is especially important for anyone facing serious illness or long-term health challenges. An LPA is available to anyone aged 18 or over, and it is not limited to older or seriously ill people. Having an LPA ensures that your wishes are respected, helps avoid confusion or delays, and provides peace of mind for you and your family.
For further details or advice, please contact Sarah Meers Legal Services.
Contact details:
Phone: 020âŻ3858âŻ0307
Email: info@meerslegalservices.co.uk
Address: PO BoxâŻ490, Wallington, SurreyâŻSM5âŻ9AL, UK
19/02/26: Lorraine Brown our Specialist Lymphoedema Nurse. Thank you Lorraine for your informative and well presented talk on Lymphodema.
The lymph system is part of the bodyâs immune system. Lymph nodes filter substances that travel through lymphatic fluid and they contain lymphocytes ( white blood cells) that help the body fight infection and disease. There are over three hundred lymph nodes in the head and neck region. Lorraine discussed exercises for Head & Neck Lympoedema these included; Neck & Shoulder Exercises Neck Rotation,Neck side flexion, Chin tucks, Neck flexion/ Extension. Facial & Oral Exercises Jaw movements,Facial expressions and Tongue exercises. Breathing &Preparation Deep Abdominal Breathing and self Lymphatic Massage.
The committee would like to congratulate Lorraine as she has been nominated for the Chronic Oedema Nurse of the Year Award.
October 16th: Dr Hannah Bolland from the School of Biosciences at the University of Surrey came to talk to the group about her research project that is investigating new biomarkers and treatment for head and neck cancer. We had an opportunity to discuss her research and ways to become involved.
June 19th: Debbie Heaney was our tutor for a Qigong session. Qigong is a system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing and meditation. It is said to be useful for the purpose of health and spirituality.
In a previous life Debbie was all too familiar with a stressful job and hectic lifestyle; but when she reached breaking point something had to change. Having retrained, she now runs her one business centred around Tai Chi, Qigong and Shiatsu based in Godalming. Debbie has practiced Tai Chi and Qigong since 2001 and has been teaching since 2008.
To find out more have a look at Debbie’s website: www.surreyhillstaichi.co.uk m
May 19th. Tamara Kahn the CEO of Oracle, the leading Head & Neck charity in the U.K. A special thank you to Tamara Kahn who travelled from London to attend our Shalford Village Hall meeting. Her effort was much appreciated by all who attended . The committee plan to discuss the work of the Oracle Charity and the work they have undertaken in the Head and Neck Cancer Coalition at our next Trustees meeting.
April 17th. Gemma Harris Specialist Oncology Physiotherapist. A big thank you to Gemma for attending our recent Shalford Village Hall meeting .The benefits to be gained from exercising while undergoing treatment for cancer was discussed.The Q & A session enabled those present to put forward their own queries.
Screenshot
March 20th. A big thank you to Matt for equipping members with the necessary skills to administer basic life support and giving us the confidence to use the equipment you are now beginning to see in town centres etc. The group were shown how to use an AED machine. An Automated External Defibrillator is a portable electronic machine , there are two pads inside the box that are placed on the personâs chest. The machine can automatically detect the abnormal heart rhythm that can cause cardiac arrest. An electric shock is then delivered and that can help to save the life of the person. Matt took away the apprehension of using this equipment. It is easy to use as an automated voice gives clear instructions! BUT we all were reminded to always get help first!!! ALWAYS Ring 999 and make sure the professionals are on their way. You may need the code from them to open the box and access the equipment.
PREVIOUS SESSIONS
A session was led by Kerry Hector who has written the following for us to share with you:
I’m Kerry Hector, Breathwork Coach, Yoga Teacher and Sound Therapist who has a huge love of all things health and wellness – I predominantly work with private clients, including couples and families who seek to manage and improve their own wellbeing. I also work with entrepreneurs and corporate organisations, helping to manage stress and anxiety in the workplace.
I created Calm with Kerry having gone through my own personal experience with stress and the effects it had on my physical and emotional wellbeing – itâs incredibly important to me to bring awareness to tangible and accessible techniques that can be easily adopted into our daily routines, providing stress relief, a reduction in anxiety, better sleep and an overall improvement in physical and mental wellbeing.
Breathwork is incredibly empowering – our breath belongs to us, itâs free and available for us to tap into whenever we need – the benefits we can experience are immediate, as the way we breathe directly impacts the way we feel.
During my classes I guide participants through a series of breathing exercises that soothe and calm their nervous system creating a shift, in real time, in how they are feeling. Breathing consciously and intentionally for just 15 mins per day can have a huge impact on our day to day lives.
Breathwork can also be an effective tool for women experiencing menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, as well as aiding in balancing mood.
For more information about how I may be able to help you please contact me by phone or email: 07540 571546/ calmwithkerry@gmail.com Instagram @CalmwithKerry
Christmas Party 2024
The Christmas Party held 14th December was a great success and a big thank you to everyone who made it happen.
We are grateful to Zoe Franklin, our Local MP for Guildford, for attending and mingling with all those present. The buffet provided by the charity âSurplus to Supperâ was beautifully presented and proved to be very popular. A big thank you also to Robert who provided additional soft food canopies.
Our raffles were very successful in raising funds with the Aeroplane ride prize, donated by Bob Ilett, raising ÂŁ190 and the general prize raffle raising ÂŁ145. Thank you to Michael and Edward for selling tickets and all those who so generously purchased lots of tickets. We should also mention, particularly, Beaverbrooks Jewellers and Everyman Cinema for donating prizes.
We are grateful to John, the RSCH Social Manager, for assisting us in setting up the party, manning the bar and making sure everything ran smoothly. We are also so grateful to Ashley for giving up his time supporting our charity and recording the event as always with his excellent photographs.
Charlie and Jorge were again supporting us providing festive music to get us in the Christmas spirit. The event would not be the same without them and of course we could not do without Father Christmas who somehow found the time to attend our event at such a busy time of year.The Committee do hope those who attended enjoyed the event and would like to take the opportunity to wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Christmas Fundraising
The Second Chance Charity were invited to the City of London Freemanâs School Christmas Fair at the end of November. We are very grateful to Dr. Katie Wood who arranged for us to collect contributions at the door. A special thank you to Father Christmas, Mike & Jan, Sandra , Dr. Katie Wood and her daughter for shaking buckets . The grand total raised was an amazing ÂŁ647.62p !!!! People were so generous and we thank them all.
We were overwhelmed by the fantastic support we had from staff, patients and members of the public for our Christmas themed fundraising stand at the Royal Surrey Hospital on 8/11/24. We will be selling items at the Christmas party tooâŠ.
SandraSpreading some seasonal cheer:
Sandra on behalf of the charity delivered tubs of chocolates with a Christmas card to the following departments at the RSCH. Head & Neck clinic OPD 8 Max fac OPD clinic ENT Operating Theatres Clandon Ward Head & Neck Radiotherapy department St.Lukes The staff in all departments were very appreciative of the gesture.
Our second treatment and recovery story session:
After our AGM meeting in October, Immaculate gave a moving account of her cancer treatment and care experience. Immaculate required major surgery and talked about the impact on herself and her family. A fuller account of her talk can be seen on Our Stories section of the website. This talk facilitated other members to share their stories. The discussion emphasised the need to be persistent in getting referred to the right people when your body just doesnât feel quite right. Immaculate celebrated the expertise, care and kindness shown to members by staff once her treatment started. Immaculate has made an amazing recovery and it is worth reading more about her journey on Our Stories page as it shows how her positive mindset and support from friends and family have helped in her recovery. Second Chance committee group asked members what support from the charity would have been helpful during this time. Some interesting ideas were suggested which we plan to investigate. Allan provided a delicious, soft Victoria Sandwich Cake which helped sustain the meeting and was enjoyed by all. Not a crumb was left! Thank you Allan
Our thanks to Julie Scrace for hosting our first discussion covering treatment and recovery following a Laryngectomy.
Julie had a laryngectomy 20 years ago. She had been a singer and a brass band player. She was determined to get back to music, despite being told she would never play again. As you can see she is back to performing and teaching again. If you want to read more about Julieâs story you will find it in the our stories section of the website.
Congratulations to our latest fundraisers
We celebrated the fantastic achievement of Stephen, David and Emma who ran the Woking half marathon on Sunday 8th September. They have raised approximately ÂŁ5000 for the Charity. It looks like more people are donating so the final figure could be even higher. This is an amazing achievement and will enable us to provide support for more initiatives to help more people affected by head and neck cancer. Thank you!
If you would like to add to the final figure you can donate here:
We were delighted that The High Sheriff Mr. Shahid Azeem was able to attend our Charityâs Garden Party held on Sunday 30th June.
The event was well attended and all enjoyed a delightful afternoon in lovely surroundings.
A special thank you to Jan and Mike Humphries for hosting the occasion and Charlie and Jorge for providing the music.
Finally, our thanks for the photos that were kindly taken by Mr. Ashley Prytherch. which really capture this happy occasion. You can find more photos of the event in the News section on the website. Many thanks to all of you that so generously supported us in raising funds for more activities. Enjoy the rest of the Summer and look out for a new programme of events and activities starting in September.
PAST MEETINGS
Our June meeting was held on Saturday 22/06/24. We had a lot of fun thanks to the quiz masterâs wide ranging questions. Answers included Morrisey, Sigourney Weaver, Treaty of Versailles and 1783. The winning team achieved a fantastic near perfect score and were rewarded with chocolate. Raffle prizes included tickets to Bocketts farm and Birdworld. Our thanks to Bocketts Farm and Birdworld for donating these prizes.
The afternoon also included afternoon tea including foods with a variety of textures. Finally Immaculate presented us with an incredibly generous ÂŁ1010 raised by her sponsored walk. Without funds like these we would not be able to offer such a wide range of activities. Thank you again Immaculate and Joseph.
Our speaker in May was Sandra Gates who is a specialist cancer and cardiac rehabilitation instructor and a World Record holder.
Sandra was part of the Team Ithaca who successfully completed the GB Row Challenge 2023. It obviously was a tough challenge and Sandra definitely was a worthy winner.
Sandra also spoke about her work with Can rehab:
What is CanRehab Trust?
In 2020 Professor Anna Campbell set up CanRehab Trust to provide support for people living with and beyond cancer in UK to become or stay active. The aim of this charity is to help people manage the side effects of cancer or treatment and improve their quality of life.
The Charity is developing a register of approved personal trainers and health professionals qualified to provide tailored exercise programmes for people living with cancer. CanRehab Trust matches individuals who may require a physical activity programme to an instructor who can provide a number of exercise sessions that are tailored to the personâs needs based on their diagnosis and general health, stage of treatment and previous exercise experience.
For more information please go to: canrehab.com
Sandra also spoke about how the organisation funds free exercise sessions. For more information call 03454594618
Ramster Gardens
We were so lucky with the weather when we visited Ramster Gardens in Chiddingfold. It is a historic woodland garden famous for its extensive collection of azaleas and rhododendrons and they are spectacular at the moment. If you werenât able to join us it is well worth a visit.
Our last session:
Eileen Goldsack from the Fountain Centre, an independent charity based within St Lukeâs Cancer Centre came to talk to us about the range of services they provide. The centre provides complementary therapies, psychological and family support. Some of our members talked about the sessions they have had there including therapies for insomnia and anxiety.
Dr Mandeep Bajwar came to talk to us about his role as lecturer and researcher at the University of Surrey and as a Head and Neck Cancer consultant at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Mandeep has a research remit and is particularly interested in implementing a system using a patient concernâs inventory and quality of life questionnaire that patients will complete at home and will be reviewed by members of the multidisciplinary team to identify who requires additional help and support. Mandeep is going to set up a forum to improve patient involvement in service planning. If you are interested in getting involved please contact us.
The charity would like to thank Sue Bond for attending our Shalford Village Hall meeting. Sue is an aromatherapist and Reiki Practitioner at the Fountain Centre based at the RSCH (bondsue@hotmail.com). Sue explained that Reiki is a type of energy healing. As a complimentary therapy it is sometimes used as a palliative or supportive therapy for people with cancer. It aims to relax you, ease stress and tension and help with well being. Sue defined aromatherapy as a practice based on the use of aromatic materials, including essential oils. An interesting discussion followed on Olfactory & massage aromatherapy . The scents of certain oils can help to boost mood and promote relaxation. The group found it an interesting and informative discussion. A thank you to Allan for providing the delicious homemade Victoria Sandwich Cake .
If you haven’t seen an email from us recently, firstly check your spam, otherwise if would like to know about the events we’ve got planned please contact us: info@headandneckcancer.life
Christmas Party Saturday 9/12/23. Please contact us for details.
Can you help us by sharing your stories about your recovery?
We have found that âour storiesâ are some of the most searched areas of the website. We would like to add more stories to the ones we have already. Are you happy to share yours? Ideally they would not have too much detail that would enable others to easily identify you.
âCan You Hear My Voice?â is a triumphant documentary about a choir unlike any other in the world – a choir whose singers have no voice boxes. The film is produced and directed by award-winning Los Angeles documentary filmmaker Bill Brummel – his first film since having his own voice box removed in 2016.
At its heart, âCan You Hear My Voice?â is a film about the arduous transition from life with a voice box, to one without. Itâs told through the personal stories of members a one-of-a-kind choir in London, made up of individuals who because of various throat cancers, have had their voice boxes surgically removed in a life-altering surgery called a laryngectomy.
The film follows the choir as they prepare for the most ambitious concert theyâve ever performed, a sold-out performance at Londonâs historic Tabernacle theatre, and features songs made popular by Nina Simone, Tears for Fears and Louis Armstrong. Interspersed with the concert preparations, are the personal stories of three members of the Shout at Cancer choir. Their specific accounts are examples of the broad experiences of laryngectomy patients, and how they traversed the traumatic psychosocial obstacles of living without a voice box, to emerge as fully engaged, communicative and accomplished human beings.
âCan You Hear My Voice?â is an entertaining and triumphant testimony about a universal theme â the human capacity for resilience, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
We understand that the film will be distributed in the near future.
If you would like to watch the official trailer click on the link below:
One of our loyal supporters â and a former committee member of Second Chance â took the idea of ‘elf and safety to a new level just before Christmas.
Jo Brown celebrated her 48th birthday by running 10km around Camberley and Frimley in Surrey on a cold day on December 14 â dressed as an elf!
Her brave efforts raised ÂŁ35 for Second Chance. Thanks, Jo!
Weâve received a few comments and questions regarding treatments and their side effects. As a small Charity our role is not to give medical advice. We would always encourage people to discuss their concerns with the team involved in developing their treatment plan.
If you feel you want to learn more about treatment options or possible side effects we would again encourage people to talk to the medical team. If after that you want to do more research by searching online only use reputable sites.
Macmillan.org.uk have a lot of very relevant information on their website about treatments and commonly used drugs:
One of our members has been researching into Cisplatin one of the drugs that was used in her initial treatment. You can see the possible side effects here:
They have found that there has been further research into why the drug has affected hearing which has helped them understand the impact on their hearing.
You can read more here:Â
Cancer Drug May Cause Lasting Hearing LossÂ
A study carried out by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States could explain why many patients treated with the chemotherapy drug cisplastindevelop long-term hearing loss.
Researchers found that in both mice and humans cisplastincan be found in the cochlea (the part of the ear that enables hearing) months -or even years – after treatment.
The study, lead by researchers from the US National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), was published on November 21, 2017 in the journal: Nature Communications.
According to the researchers, cisplatin, a platinum-based chemo drug, is commonly used for the treatment of many cancers. But they maintain that this drug, along with other platinum-based drugs, can damage the cochlea, leaving between 40%-80% of adults â and around 50% of children â with significant, permanent hearing loss.
Dr Percy Ivy, associate chief of the NCIâs Investigative Drug Branch, was not involved in the study. But he commented: âThis study starts to explain why patients who receive cisplatin sustain hearing loss.â
He added: This is very important, because as we come to understand how cisplatin-related hearing loss occurs, over time we may figure out a way to block it, or at least diminish its effects.â
One of the studyâs investigators, Andrew Breglio of the NIDCD, said: âThe new study differs from previous research because it takes a comprehensive look at the pharmacokinectics â or concentration â of the drug in the inner ear.â
Dr Ivy stated that hearing loss from cisplatin âis not a static injury â it doesnât stay the same. It can progress over time and it can occur late. That suggests that a long-term cancer survivor needs on-going monitoring of their hearing.â
Dr Lisa Cunningham, from the NIDCD, who lead the research team, stated: âCisplatin is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs on the planet â and itâs saving a lot of lives.â
She added: âBut the hearing loss is permanent. So these patients are surviving and they will have hearing loss for the rest of their lives.â
She stressed: âWhat we would like to be able to do is to develop a therapy that will allow patients to take the life-saving drug â but preserve their hearing.â
*More information about this study from the US National Institute on Deafness and other Communications Disorders.
After chemo and radiotherapy for neck cancer 7 years ago, I have managed to adapt fairly well to quite severe swallowing problems.
However, one of the most difficult side-effects I have had to tackle is a dry mouth, with a constant amount of thick, stringy saliva, which can build up to an extent where I feel physically sick. Itâs not only distressing, itâs also embarrassing.
To cope with this, I took the advice of Macmillan Cancer Support and made up a concoction of sodium bicarbonate mouthwash. Add one teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to 550ml (one pint) of cooled, boiled waterand swish it round your mouth, before spitting it out.
Itâs not perfect â but, my goodness, it works for me. Thing is, you have to keep a bottle with you when eating out, but Iâve found that by taking a few slurps before a meal, it stops the sticky stuff from forming too much. (You can swallow it, if you are in company!)
If you donât fancy the taste of sodium bicarb, you can settle for plain water. Just keep taking sips all the time. If you are able to taste food, taking frequent sips of water or sodium bicarb doesnât affect the taste of the food â at least not in my case.
Doing this also lessens the strain of chewing and swallowing, which can get very tiring. But donât do it with fizzy drinks, like cola. Doesnât work! Be interested to hear your comments or other useful tips.
