Waiting

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hedgpeth27
hedgpeth27 Member Posts: 11
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hi, I've been lurking here reading discussions as I wait to find out whether or not I'm gonna have to have radiation. Boy does waiting suck. I had a parotid mass removed that was graded as intermediate grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The slides have been sent to MD Anderson for further analysis before my rad onc doctor decides if we should do radiation. I'm praying no radiation is in my future, but trying to prepare myself if it is. I'm also waiting to have a pet scan, just to make sure. I have this deep burning feeling that the parotid tumor may not be the only one. I don't know, maybe because 80% of parotid tumors are benign and I happened to be in the other 20%, now it's a little hard to be positive. Waiting sucks.

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  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #2
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    Welcome
    Glad you've stopped "lurking" and have posted instead so we can help you. YES, waiting sucks and unfortunately we do a lot of waiting but it's for the best, the doctors need the time and tests to make sure they are doing the right treatment for your particular type of cancer.

    Did you receive chemo or just surgery? I'm hoping you don't have to have radiation also but please know that it is quite doable, some of us have many side effects while others have just a few so please don't think that everything you have read here will happen to you.

    I just had a PET last week and like you I am waiting to hear from the radiologist about the results. I'm 21 months post treatment and am becoming a pro at the waiting game :)

    Please post again so we will all know how you are doing.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna
  • hedgpeth27
    hedgpeth27 Member Posts: 11
    #3
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    Glenna M said:

    Welcome
    Glad you've stopped "lurking" and have posted instead so we can help you. YES, waiting sucks and unfortunately we do a lot of waiting but it's for the best, the doctors need the time and tests to make sure they are doing the right treatment for your particular type of cancer.

    Did you receive chemo or just surgery? I'm hoping you don't have to have radiation also but please know that it is quite doable, some of us have many side effects while others have just a few so please don't think that everything you have read here will happen to you.

    I just had a PET last week and like you I am waiting to hear from the radiologist about the results. I'm 21 months post treatment and am becoming a pro at the waiting game :)

    Please post again so we will all know how you are doing.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna

    Glenna, Thanks so much for
    Glenna, Thanks so much for the support. The oncologist said that chemo has not been proven to help with my form of cancer, so it will just be radiation if necessary. I am thankful for that. So far I've only had surgery and really it was much easier than I had expected.
  • hairbow
    hairbow Member Posts: 5
    #4
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    Yes it does. I think its the
    Yes it does. I think its the unknown that is so hard to bare. I had 33 rad treatments and afterwards my doc says :"I told you it was going to get difficult, I tried to prepare you"..well there isnt a way to prepare anyone for the million things you go thru during and AFTER the treatments. Each day when i awoke, my body asks.."again ?" and my mind said."yep, but just 32 more" or "today is friday, so 2 days off" and while in the room being treated.. I would think about my Thanksgiving menu. All and all, I think the best thing I realized about myself.. I am stronger than I knew. I am a traveler.. I have overcome and will continue on my journey. There are alot of others that are on the same road.sic* same here for the chemo..wasnt enough info as to its use on my cancer..so i of course lotted to NOT. I had a 8 hour surgery in June of last year, they removed lymph nodes, muscle, spit gland, tonsils, scraped the base of my scull, took muscle from rite thigh and placed in neck...came home from hospital, 7 days later,,went back 2 weeks later, had 6 teeth removed, came home and started radiation 2 weeks after that. What a trip but i met some fantastic people.
  • Lelia
    Lelia Member Posts: 98
    #5
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    Hi parotid pal!
    It's great you posted, welcome aboard! Non-meta parotid tumors are very treatable and if (and it's a big IF from what I understand) radiation is advised, you'll be ok, there is an abundance of information/support on CSN that can help in profound ways.

    I'm caregiver to my husband who had a benign parotid tumor removed in '84 and a cancerous parotid tumor removed 2/2011. Because of metas his case is much different than yours so I won't try to compare the two. Am here to help you through this life episode however I can, and as a newish CSN member too, strongly recommend the collective brilliance of the H&N board, these folks have been SO GOOD to me.

    One of many things we've learned over the past six months: Don't wait. Live the life, I guarantee you'll be glad you chose living full and rich instead of just w-a-i-t-i-n-g.
  • hedgpeth27
    hedgpeth27 Member Posts: 11
    #6
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    No Radiation!
    Yay, No radiation! I go for a PET scan tomorrow, which I'm quiet nervous about. But good news received today. Thanks for all the support!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #7
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    hedgpeth27 said:

    No Radiation!
    Yay, No radiation! I go for a PET scan tomorrow, which I'm quiet nervous about. But good news received today. Thanks for all the support!

    No radiation is a reason to
    No radiation is a reason to celebrate in my book!

    Prayers for a good and clean pet scan tomorrow.
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #8
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    hedgpeth27 said:

    No Radiation!
    Yay, No radiation! I go for a PET scan tomorrow, which I'm quiet nervous about. But good news received today. Thanks for all the support!

    Woo Hoo!
    No rads is good. Hoping to get more good news from you in a few days.
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #9
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    hedgpeth27 said:

    No Radiation!
    Yay, No radiation! I go for a PET scan tomorrow, which I'm quiet nervous about. But good news received today. Thanks for all the support!

    Yes
    Well that is certainly good to hear...no rads. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #10
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    No Rads
    Hey Lurker...LOL, welcome to the family.

    Glad you aren't having the rads...thoughts and prayers on a good PET sdan as well.

    ~Best,
    John
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #11
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    Skiffin16 said:

    No Rads
    Hey Lurker...LOL, welcome to the family.

    Glad you aren't having the rads...thoughts and prayers on a good PET sdan as well.

    ~Best,
    John

    That is great news.. Sending
    That is great news.. Sending good vibes for a clean scan.

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