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Head and Neck Cancer

Archives for June 2012

Running A Fever
Have had only 2 of my weekly Cisplatin and my bloodwork was fantastic last week. Now suddenly I'm running a fever. It hit 100.5 and I didn't realize I wasnt supposed to take anything to get it down. Called doc. Of course I haven't heard back yet. How concerned should I be over this fever?
Hearing loss and frustration
I'm nearly 8 years out of radiation to my left neck and ear. I was treated for a slow growing cancer that wasn't so bad, except for the fact that it was infiltrating my facial nerves and causing a lot of pain and would've eventually caused paralysis. I have been noticing tinnitus in the left ear for the past couple of…
Jawbone Replacement due to disintegration of radiated jawbone
I have done tons of research on the best doctor and the best medical facility to have this procedure done. I have very strong opinions about this but hoping not to offend anyone would be willing to share them if there is interest. I was initially diagnosed with Stage 4 oral cancer of the tongue in 2002, I have had 5…
Jawbone Replacement due to disintegration of radiated jawbone
I have done tons of research on the best doctor and the best medical facility to have this procedure done. I have very strong opinions about this but hoping not to offend anyone would be willing to share them if there is interest. I was initially diagnosed with Stage 4 oral cancer of the tongue in 2002, I have had 5…
Cutting back on narcotics
To try to get my stomach working again, my doctor and I agreed today to cut back the amount of narcotics I'm taking. I hope this works with nausea too. I'm going down from the 50 patch to the 25 tomorrow even though it's a bit early for that. My doctor said he usually likes to wait until the patient is taking 4 or fewer…
Just got back from seeing the ENT....
he scoped me out, and said there is nothing at all left of the tumor (NPC Stage III)...my nodes are down to what will probably turn out to be just scar tissue, there is so little left. I've been feeling light, and I can't wipe this smile off my face...it keeps coming back...LOL. p
I thought I'd feel better by now
I have had, I realize, very unrealistic expectations of what my recovery would be like. 13 months after my diagnosis, I've had three surgeries, two rounds of radiation and two rounds of chemotherapy. Yet, somehow I thought I'd feel better than I do. What was I thinking? Now, it's the edema/lymphedema which is getting me…
keeping me in the dark...
Hi everyone, Just for a background, I'm married to my HS sweetheart of 20 yrs. The 'love of my life'. Well 3 yrs ago he was diagnosed with stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma, rt tonsil and 1 Lymph Node. Chemo/Rad(Cisplatin) cocktail worked great, he lost 42 lbs but made it thru with flying colors. It was a rough 4 months but…
One week+ out and
wondering if I'm on course or if I've possibly made my recovery harder by continuing to eat ordinary food, for the most part. I tried to update my profile and couldn't get into my page by editing to give the updates of my treatments, but I'm thru with my rads only to vocal cords only. I still need liquid hydrocodone and…
Esophageal Dilitation
Just had procedure #2........Swallow test showed about 1/2cm before procedure.... I could barely choke down mashed potatoes before and am hoping to show improvement this time.......Goal according to my ENT is close to 3cm..(that sure seems like alot) I am dealing with Trismus so my mouth doesn't open very wide.......Gums…
Like A Fly I'm Back...Update Last Doc Visit, B_12 jump start session
I started by B-12 Last Thursday for the next 5 weeks, first week is going better, The reason I am Writing i was given a new Drug, ask the Doctors for a any new updates pills or strengths, they are continuously advancing the drugs we are using, so don't get stuck on the same old same ole..remember we've gone threw hell and…
Eating...
Coco-Wheats with double sugar and milk, tastes like normal except I would definitely not need that much sugar usually Frosted Mini Wheats, still good. Scrambled Eggs, gonna put some cheese tonight for extra calories. The one I ate today was borderline delicious. Watermelon. It was passable but my mom said it wasn't a great…
JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS, IT TOUCHED MY HEART
3 years ago Friday, I lost a very special friend and coworker who had fought a brave fight against colon cancer for about years. She always was so positive thru out her battle even though she had been told more than once that she only had months to live but outlived those predictions by years. She always had a smile every…
JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS, IT TOUCHED MY HEART
3 years ago Friday, I lost a very special friend and coworker who had fought a brave fight against colon cancer for about years. She always was so positive thru out her battle even though she had been told more than once that she only had months to live but outlived those predictions by years. She always had a smile every…
I am home from surgery with great news!!
Had surgery Tuesday morning at 8:30am, I came out about 11ish. I was in recovery for about two hours because I was so out of it. The Dr told my family he had taken 25 lymph nodes from the left side to check for cancer but said they all looked good. Dr told my family we should know by then end of the week of the results.…
mucus mucus???
hi everybody I'm doing ok except for the mucus it keeps making me throw up I'm on my fourth week of radiation and I have chemo next Wednesday.Any body have any ideas I've tried muccinex it doesn't seem to help thank you.
My Husband Lost His Battle - Father's Day 6/17/12
Some of you may have seen this on Facebook - others not. My husband lost his battle at 6:37 am on Sunday morning - Father's Day - 6/17. He was doing so well - had finished his treatment (this was his third battle with the beast) - was recovering well, had trache and picc line removed, and was getting his energy back. He…
Magic Mouth Wash?
I am curious, how does the MMW feel, I just cannot comprehend how you swallow something that makes your thoart numb, it seems to me that it would be like shutting down your ability to breath and something scary. I swished it in my mouth once after problems with my original chemo treatment but never swallowed it and…
2 weeks out!
Monday will be 2 weeks since my last Rads. Overall I'm feeling well. I've managed to stop all pain medication other than Tylenol once or twice a day. My mouth is feeling a lot better, no open sores. I'm still very sore under my tongue, but that was where the tumor was so I'm not surprised. I still have not been very brave…
Continous ugh
Hi everyone, I am in my last week of rads, 3 more to go. Yay! I had no mucous so far . Over last 3 days i have developed mucous and along with that a very Persistent cough. I pretty much cough all day and all night. I also cough up blood couple of times. My doc had asked me to try robitassin cough medicine and ativan. I…
Still hanging in there...
I thought I'd post an update, since I'm still having some struggles but I'm hanging in there as best I can. Some things have gotten better: my neck skin is almost completely healed, and the mucus is definitely slowing down. Other things are about the same: I'm still struggling to keep food down (through the tube) and…
just curious
I am just curious for the ones who have completed treatment, as to how soon you were able to return to work. I am doing 35 radiation treatments and 3 cycles of Cislplatin on Day1, 22, and 43. I had what they believed was a branchial cleft cyst removed about 6 weeks before starting treatment which was actually a lymph node…
First PET scan after radiation
Hi All This isn't for me, but I hoped to tap into the collective knowledge of the folks on here. A guy I have conversed with on a UK cancer forum since my diagnosis (really good guy) has had SCC of the BOT and had rads and chemo. He finished his treatments in March and has just had his first post treatment PET. The scan…
I AM STARVING!!!!!
I am just in tears over here. I'm hungry, I want to eat, but I can't taste ANYTHING!!! My mouth and throat are fine still and I want to EAT EAT EAT while I can but it's almost nauseating to choke down a mouthful of cardboard flavored nastiness. I know this is just the beginning so I have to get a grip.
Help from loved ones.....
Hello group, Just a gentle reminder to us all. More than one set of ears are better than one. I know writing things down, to refer back to helps alot too ! Man my filing system is in need of re-sorting ! With what we are all going through, we can't possibly do it alone. Even with my husband standing beside me...I ask for…
Pet Scan results...Good news!
Hi I had the Pet Scan today and it was NED! No surgery is needed and all looks good for now. I am thrilled. We went to dinner with Marlene, the woman who took me to all my cancer treatments, to celebrate with husbands and sons. We had a great time and I feel relaxed... at least for three more months until I have it again!…
Leukoplakia... anyone, any insight, appreciated.
My mom was diagnosed with tonsil cancer (I believe T1N2b) which was HPV positive. She had neck dissection, all lymph nodes on right side removed (3 were cancerous, 1 was not encapsulated - the one not encapsulated is one she originally noticed, and it was approx 2.5" at time of removal), had raditation seeds implaned in…
Six-Step Screening: Six Steps to a Thorough Oral Cancer Screening
Hi everyone. I don't know when this group was created but I'm sure glad there is one for H&N. I was dx'ed 14 years ago with stage IV lateral tongue SCC, and no risk factors. If you saw me, you would never know I had a radical neck and reconstruction of 1/3 of tongue. I'm lucky and I know it. I couldn't go on ethically…
Hi Everyone!
Hi there! Just though i'd say hello to everyone and wish everyone who is suffering from this terrible disease to get well soon. I was in bad shape about 2 1/2 yrs. ago with base of the tongue cancer. I recognize a few names that are still on here. I go regularly for my 3 month follow ups and everything seems to be good so…
Speech impairment
I am 14 years out from NPC treatments. Over the last 2 years my speech as progressively worsened to the point that it is almost impossible to speak on the phone. Background: 18 months after I finished radiation (MD Anderson) I woke up hoarse - it turned out to be a paralyzed left vocal cord attributed to the late effects…

Head and Neck Cancer

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