1 Year Since Final Rad - Is this something to celebrate?

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tomb247
tomb247 Member Posts: 54
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Today marks one year since my final of 30 radiation treatments. What a year it has been. It is amazong at how far you come in just a year! Scans in the next month and praying for NED.

DX  01/12/2015 - Stage 3 No Nodes HPV+ Tonsil BOT

              30 rounds IMRT 7 fields

              No Surgey or Chemo

             No tube but did get within hours

Could go over a million topics but I will just update to give those of you an idea of what happens with some a year out.

Taste still not very strong. Can eat pretty much anything although don't have much interest in sweets or sodas. Never big on sweets anyway. Vegetables cooked are much easier than raw. Dry meats are tough but fish is pretty easy. ENT says could take a few years. Do a Super Green Smoothie every day with a million things mixed in it.

Saliva is slow to come back although only wake a few times to drink at night. Still carry water everywhere. Again, ENT says it could take a few years to get to whatever it will be.

Gained back 40 of the 75 I lost. People say I look great.

Still have lymphedema a bit but most has gone down and only flairs every once in a while.

Swallowing is still interesting at times. Chew chew chew. Drink Drink Drink

Still get fatigued a bit after a long day at work. (Will be running thyroid numbers soon)

Overall feeling pretty good. Thankful for the people in my life, my faith and my family.

If anyone has any specific questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Peace,

Tom

Comments

  • josh r.
    josh r. Member Posts: 264 Member
    #2
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    A wonderful date!

    Hi  Tom,

    This is a day to cheer about! I send my hardiest congratulations to you and all of us survivors as I look back nearly twenty-five years to November 22nd 1991 and my last treatment. You seem to be going thru many of the difficulties that I remember experiencing and pretty much have pushed aside or adjusted to. Isn't wonderful to be alive and participating in life again? It will even get better. All the best and let's keep on giving as we have received. josh r. 

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #3
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    Yes it is, and all the others too.........

    You must have missed ruel #1 for survivors. You celabrate every little thing you can. Congratulations !

    Bill

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #4
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    We celebrate 1 year marks for everything else

    so, heck yes! Lift that glass of wine or Ensure and feel happy that you made it. Hopefully you'll be celebrating for many years to come!

    barbara

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #5
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    1 year

    Tom,

    I celebrate the years, the days, the minutes, meals where I do not choke, the more distance between me and the water bottle, the meals which are still tasting better all the time, nights when I don’t wake up, the warm sun, the wet rain, life man life.

    Now there are things that I don’t celebrate also, like the old man neck I now have. I used to be able to estimate how old a person was by the way their neck looked, but not anymore, I have the neck of a 70-year old and I am only 59, woe is me.

    Matt

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #6
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    CivilMatt said:

    1 year

    Tom,

    I celebrate the years, the days, the minutes, meals where I do not choke, the more distance between me and the water bottle, the meals which are still tasting better all the time, nights when I don’t wake up, the warm sun, the wet rain, life man life.

    Now there are things that I don’t celebrate also, like the old man neck I now have. I used to be able to estimate how old a person was by the way their neck looked, but not anymore, I have the neck of a 70-year old and I am only 59, woe is me.

    Matt

    Matt, you poet you!

    i love your first paragraph there. Suitable for framing...I'll be sure my husband reads that one.

    Barbara

  • tomb247
    tomb247 Member Posts: 54
    #7
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    You Get It!

    Thank you all for the kind words. 

    Peace,

    Tom

  • the_wife
    the_wife Member Posts: 184
    #8
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    Tom

    Oh my gosh, Tom! Yes, yes, YEESSS!!!! The one year milestone is HUGE! Well, let's face it - they all are, lol! But seriously, celebrate that in a big way. I can't wait for us to get where you are now. Best of luck with your scan. 

    And oh my goodness, Josh! Your 25 years deserves it own thread! You truly are an inspiration, especially for all us newcomers. Please post that again for all to see.

    Thank you both for taking time out of your lives to light the path for the survivors here. 

    Keep going! We're right behind you!

  • Mart1n0
    Mart1n0 Member Posts: 12
    #9
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    London calling

    hello Tom

    you repled to my initial post thx and seems we are similar diagnosed I am having two sessions of chemo tho as a couple of nodes infected

    so you are now a year post treatment and still dodgy taste and no saliva?

    tell me did your Onc say your saliva glands would survive the rack, mine says the left should recover but the right wont but can't set any timelines other than six months to three years!

    Did you do any excercise during or post treat or anything you feel helped your recovery?

    anyway reading your post was uplifting in that you are getting back to normal, but sounds like I should be factoring at lest a year for that!

     

    luv M

  • tomb247
    tomb247 Member Posts: 54
    #10
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    Mart1n0 said:

    London calling

    hello Tom

    you repled to my initial post thx and seems we are similar diagnosed I am having two sessions of chemo tho as a couple of nodes infected

    so you are now a year post treatment and still dodgy taste and no saliva?

    tell me did your Onc say your saliva glands would survive the rack, mine says the left should recover but the right wont but can't set any timelines other than six months to three years!

    Did you do any excercise during or post treat or anything you feel helped your recovery?

    anyway reading your post was uplifting in that you are getting back to normal, but sounds like I should be factoring at lest a year for that!

     

    luv M

    London Calling

    Posting for Mart1n0 but public in case anyone else can benefit.

    Oncologist said left salivary gland would be hit pretty hard. Right would mostly come back. I had no chemo and 30 rads 7 fields. Hit let side hardest. 

    Both ENT and Oncologist said saliva would take months to years and seems to be following that timeframe. Better now but still wake up bone dry in the middle of the night for a drink of water. Use Biotene gel, spray and mouthwash. 

    As far as excercise I started walking a mile or so probably end of March beginning if April. By summer was up to about 4 miles. Looking to start jogging a bit in the next few weeks as my daughter wants me to run some 5k's with her.

    Thyroid may be starting to give me trouble and fatigue is hitting me a bit some days. Having levels checked for the first time next week.

    Went back to work 5 months out of treatment. Wiped me out at first but doing fine now.

    You will get through this. Keep a positive outlook and sense of humor.

    Please feel free to e-mail me any time. 

    Thank you and Peace

     

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #11
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    Well hell yeah!!

    It sure is something to celebrate!!  It's your first cancerversary!!  A milestone....Congratulations.

    p

  • tomb247
    tomb247 Member Posts: 54
    #12
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    phrannie51 said:

    Well hell yeah!!

    It sure is something to celebrate!!  It's your first cancerversary!!  A milestone....Congratulations.

    p

    Thank you.

    Thank you and thanks for adding me to the FB group.

    Tom

  • padgination
    padgination Member Posts: 1
    #13
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    New To Board

    Thank you for the post Tom. I will finish my 33 radiation treatments(& 3 chemo) next Friday, so it is nice to see a post from someone a year out. As you know, things here are pretty miserable. The mucous in my throat and sores in my mouth and throat are brutal at best. I know things will get better in time and this defnately beats the alternative, but it is still a rough go. I am so very lucky to have a great woman and wonderful family to help me through this, so things could be much worse. Anyway, thanks again,  God's speed, and I hope you have many many more cancer free and healthy years.  Mike 

  • Raddude
    Raddude Member Posts: 84
    #14
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    padgination said:

    New To Board

    Thank you for the post Tom. I will finish my 33 radiation treatments(& 3 chemo) next Friday, so it is nice to see a post from someone a year out. As you know, things here are pretty miserable. The mucous in my throat and sores in my mouth and throat are brutal at best. I know things will get better in time and this defnately beats the alternative, but it is still a rough go. I am so very lucky to have a great woman and wonderful family to help me through this, so things could be much worse. Anyway, thanks again,  God's speed, and I hope you have many many more cancer free and healthy years.  Mike 

    Padgination

    You are soooo close. When they pull that mask off next friday it will feel like you won the superbowl. Congrats and hang in there for these last days. It can get bumpy but there is light at the end of your tunnel now.

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 615 Member
    #15
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    Celebrate!

    Celebrate everything! We are all grateful to be alive and that is cause to celebrate all the milestones. Congratulations!

  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #16
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    wmc said:

    Yes it is, and all the others too.........

    You must have missed ruel #1 for survivors. You celabrate every little thing you can. Congratulations !

    Bill

     

     

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