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Neck support and elevation while sleeping?
For the last month and a half my husband has been sleeping in a recliner to help with the mucositis. I bought him one of those airline neck pillows to help stabilize his head and neck but he still wakes up with a fairly stiff and uncomfortable neck from it falling forward or to the side as he sleeps. Can anyone recommend…
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Hello Again
At some point, I just got too busy to keep up with the forum. As with everything else, I needed to tell myself to make time, as this site was so helpful to us when we really needed it. Doug might come on and update for himself, but the short form of the news is: he's finally joined the low-thyroid club. The GP called today…
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Burning in esophagus, throat, stomach from 5FU
My husband just started 5FU with a pump via port for 4 days. At day 2 the burning in esophagus, throat and stomach seems unbearable. He is 100% PEG dependent at this point, inability to swallow due to intense pain. Any one else find a way to counter this side effect? Oncologist recommended over the counter Prilosec. We had…
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New to this site...currently treating Stage IV NPC
Hello all. I am happy to have found this site...wish I found it two months ago, but better late than never. My husband (age 55) has been diagnosed with Stage IVb nasopharyngeall cancer. There are positive lymph nodes but they are above the clavicle and were in the field of radiation. No mets. HPV positive. We have…
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NED!
hello everyone, just wanted to share the good news. We saw the ENT and the oncologist this week and we hear the sweet words: no evidence of disease. It is amazing to think that 6 months have passed since Dmitri finished treatment. He is doing really well. Of course he deals with some issues but overall he is doing great.…
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Pet Scans
How many Pet Scans has anyone had and do you see any relationship betwen radiation and an ischemic colon? TIA
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Well, that sucks...
Got a PET scan last week and got the results today. The rad onc says two of the lymph nodes lit up. Fine needle biopsy next Monday to confirm and then he suggests surgery to remove them. One year after tx and dealing with the daily bs of taste and saliva issues and now this...thought I was free and clear...guess…
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Using Aloe juice to help promote healing in mouth
I am in my second week of treatment and was trying aloe juice to help promote healing in my mouth from the radiation. Has anyone else tried this and what experience did you have? i just swish some around my mouth and swallow, then do not drink anything for a while. Thanks and this is a great forum with lots of good info…
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5 years Friday
Hi all: Thought I'd better check and see what's happening. This past Friday 8/21 was 5 years since Charlie passed away. It sure doesn't seem like that. I spent the day with the "boys" and I always reread all the cards; play the videos that were made, and listen to Steve (brother-in-law) and my parts we did at his service.…
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Trials and how to choose
Hello everyone, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with choosing a trial for mets ? I'm on a national waiting list for any matches for my specific tumor type. But of as today none have been found. I was given a name at the Mayo here in Minnesota that I will be checking out. (trial specific for rare cancers but not…
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Melanoma in head and neck area?
my friend has been treated for 20 years for her arthritis with a drug that has high risk for cancer. in febuary 2015 she was told she has non hogeskins lymphoma, she did some chemo with great results. in late may 2015 they found melanoma on her forehead and removed with surgery late june 2015 there was a large fast growing…
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Financial milestone!
As many of you know, I started my journey of fighting cancer with NO insurance. My employer keeps us under a certain # of hours as not to have to offer benefits. My husband is self employed so we honestly could not afford the premiums when this all started back in December 2013. I had to fight like crazy to get ANY…
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eating at eight weeks
Tomorrow is eight weeks post radiation/chemo for squamous cell carcinoma of my facial nerve. Earlier this week I tried to eat a fried egg and gave up on it. Today I tried some chicken rice soup. I tasted it, I enjoyed it and I had no pain. I even went back and got a bigger bowl and polished that off too. Tonight I think…
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I hopefully will have some normalacy back in my life
Another appointment down, this time with the Radiation Oncologist. Yes, it has been 15 1/2 years since I completed radiation, but he still sees me once a year. The appointment went well and he has given his OK, that I can start Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments. This will consist of 30 dives pre oral surgery which is to remove…
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Scc in Gums
Im 22 years old. Diagnosed with SCC in my gums. Doctors did surgery and i was doing pretty great. They couldn't decide if it was stage 2 or 3. Recommended radiation But didnt require it. I started radiation but since i started getting symptoms of chemo patients the doctor said that was very unusual not normal. I want to…
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August 18,2015~~Graduation Day
Yesterday, having a routine visit and scope schuduled with my surgeon Dr Ricardo Carrau, at The James in Columbus Ohio, I was given a total surprise and the most welcome news. He came in with 3 of his students, did the usual poking and prodding..and of course, down the nose scope..explaining what he had done to his…
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eating solids
I am 7 1/2 weeks out from radiation therapy. I still have a sore on the bottom of my tongue. Did you force yourself to try to food like eggs or soup or were you content to drink boost untill you mouth was more healed?
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hit my first wall today
I am now into just the 3rd week of chemo and 2nd week of radiation, everything has been fairly smooth up to today when I felt, for the first time, the radiation burn in my throat. Came home and made the nasty backing soda, salt gargle and it greatly minimized the discomfort immediately. So far, I have been going to the car…
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Newly diagnosed
Just diagnosed Hi everyone! I was diagnosed 8/10/15 and as of today my treatment plan has been fianalized and set in motion. I have stage 4A cancer of the right tonsil with spread to 1 neck node on the right side, but PET scan shows no where else. So....T2N2aM0 I'm set to start 35 weekly treatments of radiation 5 days a…
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SUPERTHREAD UPDATES~
I'm working on updating the links on the SuperThread..., it's been awhile. While I'm working on it, my stopping point will be recognized by GREEN text, until I get back to it again.. If you want something added, or find an update for a broken link, let me know and I'll get to that also.. Thanks, John
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Scar Tissue problems
I had radiation and chemo for voice box cancer four years ago and have been cancer free since then. Lately I have had a very sore throat, itchy cough and pflem in my throat. I just went to my ENT, sure that my cancer had come back but thank goodness everything looked great. She said my symptons were from scar tissue from…
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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO TNM Staging of Head and Neck Cancer and Neck Dissection Classification
Just an FYI; I ran across this Guide and found it very helpful on staging and Neck dissection by the different locations for H & N. http://www.entnet.org/sites/default/files/NeckDissection_QuickRefGuide_highresFINAL.pdf American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Tumor Staging by Site A. Oral Cavity B. Oropharynx C. Larynx…
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ROLL CALL 2015 - UPDATED 9-1-15 (CLOSED)
ROLL CALL 2015 Roll Call is dedicated to the memory of HAWVET (JOHNNY) who’s curiosity to know and to share a little bit about members of the Head and Neck Form inspired him to start and run this thread (2008 thru 2014). Thank You. First off, please feel free to Enroll or Check-In whenever you see the ROLL CALL thread. I…
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symtoms
Have a question , my brother had throat cancer 3 yrs ago , scans have all been good, the problem is where his neck was cut on seemed sticky the other day so he took a wash cloth and wiped it off, and clear water begin to squirt out enough he said to fill a pop bottle cap full? After his surgery 3 yrs ago he had a lot of…
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NED....with a "but......" hanging on the end of it!
Oncology called today to tell me there is no sign of a recurrance.....BUT.....one lymph node lit up....it is normal sized, but that "we" (ongology and ENT) will be keeping an eye on it....kind of raining on my parade . I keep telling myself that it's nothing...around here this time of year, we're breathing smoke 24/7 from…
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Acupuncture & Taste recovery - Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue
Hi All, I am very encouraged by the input from MrsBD. It has been over 3 years for my diagnosis and treatment. (Details are all there in initial postings.) I have been having a strange 3-4 month cycle of heightened sensitivity to all things oral. Speaking loud, even on phone, hurts the tongue 3 Years later I can summarise…
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Table breaking
Mom is coping. We are into week 3. Her hair is thinning. Her mouth is a little iffy but no mouth sores so far it appears. But we have a compliant. Her table keeps breaking! Every week her table has broke. Is this normal? Two times she has been down there and it was broken and no one told us before the hour drive there.…
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Stage IV T3N2Mo Looking for answers
Hello All, My hubby is finally feeling good. Gained some weight which is great. Went from 255k (and no not chunky....lol..6'3' big dude) all the way down to 170.No tube needed, but got pretty thin after treatments. He is 8 Months out now, and just weighed in at 188. He looks great, and is in my estimate 75% which is…
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Surgery vs No surgery
I have read many of your stories and I know that each case is different. The day my husband had his biopsy the ENT told me that it's not an area they can operate on because of where it is and that chemo and radiation with the possibility of seed implants after treatment are the course of treatment. From some of your…
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Hey kids.....guess what time it is!?!
Yes....it's ceiling fan time....again. I'm doing better this time, I think....I didn't start getting worried until last Friday...and the scan is day after tomorrow....so, that means I didn't climb up here for a two week stay, just a few days. As always, I'd appreciate the prayers, good mojo, crossing digits....anything…