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Head and Neck Cancer

Archives for November 2010

first visit with radiation oncology
Dad met with the radiation oncologist yesterday. I feel very comfortable with her and the residents that also were there. He has a large tumor on the base of the tongue and a large tumor on the left lymph node. They are not going to do IMRT though...my understanding is she doesn't want to spare any area/tissue. Anyone else…
Today I had surgery to remove my chemo port
Today was my last day having my chemo port in at 9 clock this morning had surgery to remove it since I am cancer free now.
Smell of Radiation or Chemo???
11 Months out of radition and Chemo, Still smell chemical of metal or Medical Office, Am I dreaming or is this still aftermath of rads etc....it's not stinky, thank god, but a wierd medicine smell...Any input thanks. Dennis
Still NED at six month check! Yay!
I visited with my favorite doctor at Stanford yesterday, for my six-month check. No scans. All he did was palpate, prod, and poke all the way to the base of my tongue, repeatedly, gack! gack! gack! and scope the interior... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Oh ya, and he squeezed and manipulated the exterior of my neck till he…
Moist sensation in mouth?
Hey, wait a minute . . . that's saliva! I'm about nine months out of treatment and have had two straight days and nights of some saliva. So, things can happen at any time for any of us. Some of us are dealt a tougher hand to build on, and I have ongoing treatment issues, but I'll take any break I can get. Coincidentally, I…
My First Birthday
Today is my First birthday. Had my 12 month last week with a new ENT and had my CT before her visit and it came back NED. Chest & abdomen weren't back yet and will find out from the medonc next week if there was anything there. Time sure flew Wishe & prayers to those in treatment Dave
My first day of radiation
My first day of radiation starts today at 2:00. I am so terrified of being strapped down. I know it is for only a short time and I don't understand why I'm so scared. I'm trying so hard not to cry because I don't want my nose to be stuffed up, I have to wear a mouth piece. I want to get this done and over with and put…
STILL CANNOT SWALLOW REGULAR FOOD
I will be six weeks post treatment this Wednesday and the only thing I can swallow without trouble is liquids. My ENT visit 2 weeks ago revealed allow of esophageal swelling and a Barium Swallow Test revealed the same thing. My Medical Team wants to give it more time, and they put me on Prednisone for the swelling. Am I…
robitussin DM / store brand tussin dm
Has anyone tried using Robitusin DM to thin mucus? Wondered if it works. I have not posted in awhile and had had my ups and downs. It's been a tough journey. But we all know that here. I have been trying to stay positive as that is half the battle. A big positive..I am in final week of radiation and final chemo today.…
We are all still here
Hi all. Just thought i'd post a positive thought for us survivors today. As we ponder our future and side effects and treatments. We are still here and living and amongst our wonderful caring families. We have not been taken suddenly like the poor miners in new Zealand. We are surviving. We are slightly tainted now. But we…
Made it Through the First Big Holiday
Hi all: Basketcase checking in here! Well, I made it through Thanksgiving! We had a good one and my sister-in-law and two nieces and I did some shopping while my brother stayed at home with his grandson and had a great visit with him at my house. We had to go to K-mart as my microwave conked out T'giving day and they had…
questions about treatment
Hi everyone, My Dad has his first appointment at Wake Forest tomorrow and I will be going with him. I am sure I will find answers to many of my questions, but would like to be armed with some additional info as to what to expect as a caregiver. My Dad was wondering if the chemo and radiation will cause hair loss? (not that…
Praise
I would like to take this Sunday morning to give praise and thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, God in heaven, and for the holy spirit that God blessed us with..
Are sweets bad for you during treatments
Hello Everyone, My wife is a patient at MD Anderson. She has base of tongue cancer which has spread to lymph nodes in neck. My question is a lot of people on this site have her sweets are bad for you. We asked our chemo doctor and she said sweets were no problem. We asked the radioligist and she said it was bad for your…
"It's a god-awful small affair, said the girl with the mousy hair"
(David Bowie reference) My brother and his wife didn't make it up for Thanksgiving, due to an injury in the family (their cat was attacked by a werewolf or something in the night, surgery was required, and they were also both, at the same time, trying to quit smoking, not the werewolf or the cat (although that might…
Where did the heartburn come from and how can I make it go away?
I never really had a problem with heartburn before, but...now I do.. Anyone else? What works the best? Thanks Stacey
Tu-be or Not Tu-be
OK, that was just the title, we’re talking tubes here. I am in the last week of an 8½ week course of 5x rads per wk and 2 chemos (wks 1 and 5- too sick for 3rd). I am HPV+ with an ex-primary in the rt tonsil (taken late Aug) then given a month to recover before starting rads and chemo for the rt lymph cancer. I actually…
What else can you do to improve your chances ? Please read.
Hi All, In my continual search for information, I found this paper (on this link below) and think it is one of the better and more succinct articles I have found to discuss the use of 'Complimentary Therapies' along with the conventional Surgery, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. It is based on clinical trials done in Cancer…
Induction Chemotherapy with Cetuximab
My wife is starting induction chemotherapy with chemo drugs Docetaxel, Cisplatin and Flourouracil combined with Cetuximab. Her cancer is advanced and she has a rough road ahead. Her cancer was caused by the HPV virus which the doctor told her that her prognosis was better since it is related to HPV. We were told that…
Best hospitals for treatment
As I mentioned a few days ago my dad will be going to wake forest Baptist medical center in north Carolina. Seems from reading several posts that maybe several of you went to Mayo Clinic. Just wanting to get an idea of where some of you received your treatment. I certainly want to go to the BEST facility and doctors. Wake…
Happy Thanksgiving
Just wanted to wish everyone here a happy Thanksgiving. You are all incredible people and words just can't do justice to how thankful I am for your love and support. As I am drinking my meals today I will be thinking on how many of you are doing the same or putting it down the tube and will offer up a prayer of gratitude…
Salavart better than Biotene!
Hello, Just wanted to say I'm a U.S. Public Health Nurse (USPHS.GOV) and I talked with some of my colleagues in the dental field and they say salavart works better than biotene for Saliva temp. replacement; also I've found that citrus orbit gum works just as good or better than biotene gum and is cheaper!!! Worth a shot…
"Don't fear the reaper"
(Blue Oyster Cult reference) Coming into this Thanksgiving, I tasked myself with making oysters rockefeller. Don't ask me why. I do not believe I've eaten them since I was a bus boy at the Officer's Club at NAS Norfolk WAAAY back in the day. They were, of course, free. But, we live at the beach and I felt like we needed to…
doc said he could PROBABLY save dad's tongue and voicebox but wants to wake dad up out of surgery to
we went and seen the ENT and the plastic surgeon today, yes it was a nightmare... ENT plans on taking a third of the tongue, jaw and lymphnodes and is optismtic about base of tongue and voicebox... BUT if he looks in there while dad is out, he will wake my father up and ask him if its ok to take voicebox and tongue! no…
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
Hi All, I just want to wish everyone here the best Thanksgiving possible and thank the members of this forum for the great advice and support. Although Pat is post treatment and currently NED, I still have times of anxiety and fear. It is so hard, because no one really understands unless they have been through it. Looking…
For Thanksgiving Loners
I was born into a nuclear family, one mom and two boys. I enjoyed my ex wife's family as my own for over twenty years, but have spent the last few solo. I have a lady friend who lives 50 miles from me and she has been my great and loving support through my treatment. I am of course invited to her family gathering for…
We met NED today.
Awful day anxiety wise. Actually had to take a little anti-anxiety medication, I was so upset. Fortunately the CNA tipped us off that things looked okay as she was checking Mark in. For those of you who have not followed the story of Mark and would like to know what he started with, and how he ends up with this good…
In-laws for the holidays and their so-special remarks...
On this Thanksgiving holiday, I am so very grateful for all my friends here and the support which we all give each other. As the old saying goes: "It's a good thing you can choose your friends, because you can't choose your family." In the interests of defusing some tensions before an in-law gets a pumpkin cream pie in the…
Dealing with Hyper and Hypo Blood Pressure
I am Almost seven years out from a tumor base of my tongue..(squamous cell) I deal with all the problems I read about on the Discussion Boards as most do..They seem to just be a way of life for me and I deal with it..ie ... taste, no saliva, hard to swallow, etc..I still get my support at my Medical School but one I am…
Bring on the chemo
I no it sounds sick, but the pain I have been having is to much to handle. If the chemo will shrink or kill the tumor before I have brachythrepy radiation bring it on. The pain this morning, urg... tylenol would not touch it. So back on oxycodone, I have been off it for several months and do not like the way it makes me…

Head and Neck Cancer

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