Hi all,

Can't believe it has been more than 2 weeks since the last post, and I thought it might be worth putting together a quick update on progress made with Jen.

• A lot of muscle was lost in the left side of the shoulder & neck as it was not used for almost 6 months due to the neck dissection. Started Physiotherapy twice a week which includes 2 hours worth of hydrotherapy in the pool to ensure that she regains strength in this area.
• Met with our dental oncologist who gave us the all clear with Jen's teeth & gums. There was a front tooth with signs of some issues due to the radiotherapy, but he didn't think much of it as there were no particular symptoms and advised us to get a root canal if it does cause any problems in the future.
• Had blood tests conducted last Friday and waiting to hear back from the ENT doctor about the results. Slightly concerned that Jen has had specific symptoms which seems to point towards hyperthyrodism but we will have to wait to see if this is the case.

Overall, taste is starting to get better as well as speech function which is great to see. Jen also seems to have a lot more energy and is now pain free which is great to see.

Swelling around her neck has subsided and scars around her neck area have also improved drastically. We still are waiting anxiously for the PET / CT scan scheduled for the 19th of March and we can't wait until we are given a clean bill of health so we can breath easy for a while.

On a separate note, we had our little bub's 6 month vaccination shots and was astonished to hear that he is currently over 9.8kg & is over 74cm tall which means he is actually outside the graph line for the 98th percentile for both weight & height. Considering he was born premature, it is amazing to see him thrive and we have been truly blessed to have such a well tempered, healthy child in our lives!

Will post another update in a few weeks time once the scans are done but in the meantime, I wish all those in treatment all the very best & I hope our story does provide some glimmer of hope that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

Kindest Regards
Jay, Jen & Hunter.