Help. My dad has been dx. with stage 3 metastatic squamous cell carcinoma

Lori Ann
Lori Ann Member Posts: 4
edited April 2011 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
He will start chemo and radiation next week along with a feeding tube. Any advise would be very appreciated and helpful. What do I and my sisters need to do for him and my mom to ease the pain, fright and what lies ahead. Would love to hear from survivors and what you or they went through, experienced and what helped you the most. Thank you!!

Comments

  • JUDYV5
    JUDYV5 Member Posts: 392
    #2
    Lori Ann
    The battle your father faces is a hard but it is doable. Many of us did it and came out the other side cancer free. Nutrition is important, but so is attitude. Keep positive !!
  • Lori Ann
    Lori Ann Member Posts: 4
    #3
    JUDYV5 said:

    Lori Ann
    The battle your father faces is a hard but it is doable. Many of us did it and came out the other side cancer free. Nutrition is important, but so is attitude. Keep positive !!

    Thank you Judy!

    Thank you Judy!
  • stevenl
    stevenl Member Posts: 587
    #4
    Lori Ann said:

    Thank you Judy!

    Thank you Judy!

    Suuport
    Lori Ann,
    What helped me the most through the battle was the tremendous support that all 3 of my daughters and especially, my wife, gave me. Be strong and be there for him and that will help him more than you know. You have a great start in being on this site. The folks here helped me so much. I had stage 4 scc of the right tonsil. Today is the one year anniversary of my last radiation treatment. So it is like Judy said, it's a long hard road ahead but everything's gonna be all right. It is beatable.

    Best,
    Steve
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #5
    Lori Ann
    My welcome to you and your Dad and family. Sweet's "Superthread" has links to a lot of specific issues, and that's a good source for info. The PEG is a good thing, and some of us consider it an essential. There's a recent thread about the feeding tube that has a lot of suggestions on it, and you should check it out. The PEG seems terrible, at first, but once he gets it- not a big deal. Just requires daily maintenance, and he will soon regard it as nothing more than a minor nuissance.

    Lori- you tell your Dad about us. We are all Survivors, and I'm not talking about just a couple months. I'm talking many years. Hondo's got over 8, now, I think, and then there's some others that are 15-plus year Survivors, like Hawvet. Tell him he is gonna survive this- we all do with only the first round of treatment. It's only when it comes back years down the road that things get dicey. H&N is a harsh treatment by any standards, but so long as he keeps his Onco informed as to how he is really handling it- the pain meds will be there for him to make it easily, or thereabouts. As I like to say, tell him he is gonna survive this thing- "So get used to it!"

    And, again, welcome. Do not hesitate to ask any questions, or express concerns. That is the main reason we are here, Lori Ann. I'm 28-months, now, and it's gonna be awhile before I'm one of the old-timers in this family. Your Dad has many years of life ahead of him.

    Believe

    kcass
  • Lori Ann
    Lori Ann Member Posts: 4
    #6
    stevenl said:

    Suuport
    Lori Ann,
    What helped me the most through the battle was the tremendous support that all 3 of my daughters and especially, my wife, gave me. Be strong and be there for him and that will help him more than you know. You have a great start in being on this site. The folks here helped me so much. I had stage 4 scc of the right tonsil. Today is the one year anniversary of my last radiation treatment. So it is like Judy said, it's a long hard road ahead but everything's gonna be all right. It is beatable.

    Best,
    Steve

    First of all..
    First of all.. congratulations on your one yr. anniversary! I'm so glad I found this site. I stayed up late last night trying to read as much as I could. Thank you very much!
  • Lori Ann
    Lori Ann Member Posts: 4
    #7
    Kent Cass said:

    Lori Ann
    My welcome to you and your Dad and family. Sweet's "Superthread" has links to a lot of specific issues, and that's a good source for info. The PEG is a good thing, and some of us consider it an essential. There's a recent thread about the feeding tube that has a lot of suggestions on it, and you should check it out. The PEG seems terrible, at first, but once he gets it- not a big deal. Just requires daily maintenance, and he will soon regard it as nothing more than a minor nuissance.

    Lori- you tell your Dad about us. We are all Survivors, and I'm not talking about just a couple months. I'm talking many years. Hondo's got over 8, now, I think, and then there's some others that are 15-plus year Survivors, like Hawvet. Tell him he is gonna survive this- we all do with only the first round of treatment. It's only when it comes back years down the road that things get dicey. H&N is a harsh treatment by any standards, but so long as he keeps his Onco informed as to how he is really handling it- the pain meds will be there for him to make it easily, or thereabouts. As I like to say, tell him he is gonna survive this thing- "So get used to it!"

    And, again, welcome. Do not hesitate to ask any questions, or express concerns. That is the main reason we are here, Lori Ann. I'm 28-months, now, and it's gonna be awhile before I'm one of the old-timers in this family. Your Dad has many years of life ahead of him.

    Believe

    kcass

    Kent. I appreciate the reply
    Kent. I appreciate the reply so much! Congratulations on the 28 months! I was really scared after the oncologist appt. yesterday but now after reading the stories on here I feel so much better. I do believe my dad has many yrs. ahead and thank you again so much for your words!
  • Dojo
    Dojo Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2020 #8
    metastatic squamous cell carcinoma

    I have a primary tumor in and around my tongue (not operable). It has mastisized to node on the right side of my neck. Because of the tumor I have hypoglossal nerve palsy which means I have lost most control of my tongue  and the ability to talk clearly. I had a peg installed two weeks and I am eating like a horse but still loosing weight. Under these conditions they will not do chem. Radiation will start in about 3 weeks. Has anyone had a peg installed and still  loosing weight. I take in 1760 calories a day. I have gone from 130 pounds to 98 pounds. I weighted 105 when I started using the tube. Anyone else had or has a similar experience? 

     

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
    edited December 2020 #9
    Dojo said:

    metastatic squamous cell carcinoma

    I have a primary tumor in and around my tongue (not operable). It has mastisized to node on the right side of my neck. Because of the tumor I have hypoglossal nerve palsy which means I have lost most control of my tongue  and the ability to talk clearly. I had a peg installed two weeks and I am eating like a horse but still loosing weight. Under these conditions they will not do chem. Radiation will start in about 3 weeks. Has anyone had a peg installed and still  loosing weight. I take in 1760 calories a day. I have gone from 130 pounds to 98 pounds. I weighted 105 when I started using the tube. Anyone else had or has a similar experience? 

     

    Welcome, Dojo

    I just wanted to point out that this is an old thread from 2011.  It is best to start a new thread to introduce yourself and explain your situation.  That way you'll get more responses.

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