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Knew It Was Coming -- Insurance Companies Suck
Friends, Knew it was coming and it finally happened...even thought NCI and MD Anderson recommend specific scheudle for followup scans my insurance company has denied my next scan (two year) because it is not "medically necessary"!! Have others had issues...thanks! Jon
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A little confused
I had my first consult with my chemo and radiation docs. Im to have 30 treaments of rad, but they offered me 3 treatments of chemo and said it was optional. Thay said the chemo only offered 5% effectiveness. My iniatial reaction is to take the 5% and be happy. Im looking for other opinions and comments. See my profile for…
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scared
My "team" (ENT, Surgeon, Tumor Board) has met and discussed my case and confirmed that i need to have to trach and gastr tubes placed before radiation and chemo. The trach has me scared to death because I have to be fully conscious while my throat is being sliced open and my airway invaded. Honestly I am not sure I can go…
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Jaw immobility post-treatment - physical therapy??
Hello, my mom has now been through two rounds of treatment for tonsillar cancer - one round of radiation, and a second round of combined radiation and chemo. She finished the second round at the end of Feb. 2015. The treatment has resulted in a severe lack of mobility in her jaw, and it's continuing to get worse. The…
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Good news
good news for me, my neuclear scans show I'm clear of bowel cancer. The tumour they took out is gone without spreading. The three small tumours don't show up at all, so I guess I'm cancer free. So relieved. I just didn't want to start treatment after all the head and neck treatment I've had,
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Great news - port removed tomorrow there's HOPE!
Had my second, 6 month follow up and lung CT and bloodwork look good. Last treatment was Sept. 2012. That is less than half of the golden "5 year survival rate" but I'll take what I can get. Wishing the same for you- please HOPE!
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ROLL CALL 2015 (ENROLLMENT, CHECKING-IN, STATUS UPDATE) CLOSED 8-15-15
In Memory of HAWVET (Johnny) who began the ROLL CALL thread with this post: 8-5-2008 12:32AM I sometimes wonder who visits this Head and Neck Cancer area. I thought I would get a count. Probably, not everyone will sign up. If you do, please complete the following: Forum Name, Type of Cancer, Year, and Home State I will…
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When your boss just doesn't understand...
I have a rant to post. I am so frustrated! I am two years out from treatment, but we all know that there is a "new normal" that must be learned and dealt with. Well, I have chronic dry mouth. I drink water ALL day and need mints to help with spit production. It's just something that I deal with, accept and handle. Well, my…
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NPC-Clear?
HI All - I subscribe to google alerts for nasopharyngeal cancer because of my family's own experiences with it and there are a lot of exciting things going on in this field with new kinds of treatment, etc. I saw this one alert yesterday, has anyone seen this? http://www.prurgent.com/2015-07-08/pressrelease389289.htm What…
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Dropping In
Hi all - thought I would post an update as it has been a while. Had my two year scans / checks etc in March. Got the NED so happy about that. Unfortunately I lost my Father suddenly whilst he was was on a business trip in Sydney in March. So that has been a fairly sucky time but as they say, that's life. Certainly makes…
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First positive CT in 2 years..
Small victories. My CT this week showed everything stable and the large tumor in my lungs reduced by 20%. I would have loved to see some reduction in the most troublesome (for me, not the doc's) tumor on the bottom of my tongue, but for now, I'll take stable. So, 8 weeks from now another CT and we'll see what we see.…
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new to it all
Hello, everyone. I was just diagnosed with cancer in my neck. Details still sketchy but four biopsy samples of my left side neck all positive. I am now waiting to hear from VA about scheduling whatever is to come. They said I will need a trach tube and feeding tube for the duration of treatment but both will be removed…
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Swallowing problems after chemoradiation
hey guys I've been offline for s few weeks. My docs finally decided that to stop my constant pneumonia from aspiration, they would put in another G tube and make me NPO. So most of you know that means I can't eat or drink anything by mouth. I feed my self Ensuremthru my tube several times a day, and have terrible stomachs…
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Down in Paradise
I am down here in a tropical paradise once again; it is an herbal garden where no poison of any kind are used. In the morning I go out looking for what I want to eat for the day, fresh Mango, Papaya, Star Fruit, Pineapples, that is just a few. I am doing some new stuff making a Chaya drink with leaves right off the chaya…
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Worst day of my life
Hello all. So glad I found this site. My mom was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma 2 weeks ago Which has been misdiagnosed for months as bad sinus/allergies. Every since I received that phone call, I feel as if the air has been taken away from me. I can't rest, eat, or function properly. I stay strong while in the…
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Swallowing difficulties after total glossectomy
Hi, I am from Hong Kong, my Dad, 81 years old, has been diagnosed with BOT cancer stage 4A (T3N2M0) in April 2015 and had total glossectomy with flap reconstruction, Right radical neck dissection, left selective neck dissection and laryngectomy on 7 May 2015. He has returned home for recovery since 29 May 2015 and we have…
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NED
I must confess, I have a crush on NED. I would like this to be an ongoing relationship and my husband is fine with it. NED! Today was the third time those magic words were pronounced after the ENT finished a scoping. Nine months out of treatment and No Evidence of Disease! Thank you to all of you who have offered advice,…
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Year and a half update
Hi folks, Have been doing well since completing surgery and radiation for stage IV SCC BOT HPV 16+ in Dec 2013. Had one PET 4 months after, and am scoped and examined every 6-7 weeks and so far so good. Have about 99% energy back, decent saliva and taste buds. Not sick with a cold or flu since finishing rads, but perhaps…
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Help! doctors disagree on treatment
A little about me.. 52 yr old woman living with 25 year old son and 5 year old grandson. DX is stage 4 SCC primary left palatine tonsil, secondary lymph node in neck and multiple suspiscious lymph nodes in chest. No treatment started. ENT has referred me to radiation and chemo docs. Chemo doctor unsure about starting…
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Back from Hell Lite
A year ago I had a left mandible resection, which I described as going to the brink of Hell and back, due to the surgery itself, several added complications, 13 days in hospital and another month at home. On June 19 I had a radial flap resection, where they took bone and tissue from my left arm and used that as filler for…
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First brain tumor from ionizing radiation(not treatment)
Its very complicated situation. Im male in my early 30. I had a head injury at age 8. Nothing serious apart from loss of consciousness for some hours. Later in life I've spent sometimes talking over 8hours on mobile phone with gf, i was only 16. No symptoms of anything, until i started going to load concerts and gigs. I…
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PET scan
what exactly is a PET scan, how is it different from a ct scan. Why I ask is because I just had a neuclear scan with a radioactive injection. It attaches to neuroendoctrine tumours and lights up. It will only light up these cancers. Is it similar to PET SCANS. the injection alone is very expensive £600 about $900 and has…
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1/2 way of Treatment
Hi all, My husband finished 18/35 rad treatment and head 2nd round of high dose Cisplatin last Monday. He's misserable, no appetite, cramping in the epigastirc area. His skin is slightly burnt from the radiation... I can't wait until he's done. The lymph node on the side of his neck is about a pea size... (it was about 3cm…
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4 Months Out on the 4th
Just a quick update. I know it is only 4 months since my last treatment but ENT sad things are progressing well. He said he thinks we can put this (SCC) in the rear view mirror. That sounds great but at only 4 months, is that even realistic? I don't know but he thinks they were successful with the treatment. Still dealing…
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My friend is in Denial!
Hi all, I'm so happy I discovered this resource. I'm here because of my best friend W, that I have known for over 40 years. She's a life long smoker, born of two smokers who both died of cancer. On a side note, my mother currently has cancer, but she is doing well. I joined this forum because I need support due to my…
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Chemo Treatment Plan - Help!
OK Question for everyone who has gone through this prior and had chemo treatments. My mom has to go through chemo and radiation treatment. We were originally told by her doctor that there would be 6 weeks of radiation and 3 chemo treatments spread out to every other week of the treatment. We were coming to terms with this…