Thanks for your replies Tim, Kathy and Sally. Great to read an digest all the good advice and information. Yes I realised I'd written false negative when I should have put false + as you say Kathy I certainly don't want that. Good luck with the scan on Tuesday, not sure if it's happened or is next Tue. Sally it's great to get your long detailed post (I'm in Inverness) and well done you, going on holiday to eat and drink your way across Belgium!!
I do have Difflam but it only helped in my mouth and didn't help further down.
I've had thrush twice and my oncologist put me on 2 wk course of treatment after hearing of the pain prior to the visual scope and she stated there was no sign of thrush being the culprit.
Your smoothie of advocado and banana made me shudder (tho I used to love advocado, it now sears my throat) and you know what I think of bananas...not sure if I need them enough to try the cooking but thanks for the idea!
My mono diet of ready brek is ongoing. Yesterday was bad in that water was difficult to get down but today I've managed 2 small bowls of ready brek without too much pain. Hurrah.
When I saw the speech therapist she advised me to do some exercises and also gave me some wooden spatula type things to hold my mouth open to help with the jaw pain I've been developing alongside an inability to open my jaw as far as it used to go. It's called trismus I believe. She will see me again in about a month and said she may offer me a 'terrabite', some sort of stretching device I think. I felt a whole lot better after seeing her as she said that as long as I do swallow water every day I will retain my swallow ok. That's been a huge relief.
Thanks again everyone,
Lynne