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Head and Neck Cancer

Archives for December 2015

Driving by had to stop in
Hi All Just wanted to sign in and say Hi and Merry Christmas to everyone. As some of you may know I am working on becoming a two time survivor this time for prostate cancer. I am back at the University of Pennsylvania and start cyber knife treatments January 11th. I was down Thursday for the planning session which included…
Rib Cancer
Hi all, I have learned so much from this group for my uncle when he was diagnosed with neck cancer. He had been NED for the last 3 years and recently started having pain in his shoulder. We took him to the Dr. today and an xray and scan were done, the Dr said that he now has cancer on his ribs. He goes thru the VA and they…
I'm Angry!!
Ok, I usually don't get mad... but yesterday I was sooo angry. As some of you know my husband is a cancer doc himself and is now 3 months post tx. for SCC nasopharyngeal tumor. Like many of you has xerostomia - dry mouth - and so far produces close to zero saliva. On top of all that he has been through this year, it was…
3 months out
Hello, My husband is 3 months out from chemoradiation for tonsil cancer. We are weaning him off the tube and it's been almost one week since we haven't used it at all. I started out making hot cereal, eggs, and soups, etc, but now we're mostly relying on shakes because they're so easy to do and to add the calories. The…
The time does go by fast, so far.
6 radiation days done (1/5 done) and 2 chemo done (1/3 done) already. Seems like just yesterday that my husband started. So far he feels great, and he saw his radiation doc and oncologist yesterday who both said that he looks great too. So far no weight loss (still hanging in there at 205 lbs at 5'11") and blood counts all…
trach from throat cancer
My father has had a trach now since February 2015. He was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer which was on his voicebox. We found this out on a Friday and that Monday morning went in for surgery to have the trach placed. He has since finished his radiation and chemo treatments. He still has a ton of swelling from the…
Daughter New To The Forum ( HNSqcc) Metastasis to Thoriac Lymph Nodes, HPV+16
Hello everyone Im Daniella, and Im the daughter to James ( Jimmy D), 68. Hoping to find similar cases, support, treatments, stories, and comradery here! :) Ok, so Dad is a healthy man normally, never smoked or heavily drank. He weighs 165 lbs, and is 5'10. He was diagnosed with HNSqcc in the base of his tongue. Went on…
new member 1 year post surgery. still need help
Last December I had a total Laryngectomy and Lymph Node removal. I kept /keep a P.M.A. But I'm still very depressed. I see A Doctor for this I'm on meds but they don't seem to make much of a change in how I feel. I've read some books and talked with the surgens they assure me I'll be fine. every night I go to sleep…
Base of Tounge
This is my first post on this forum. I really haven't reached out before this time as it seems be uncomfortable. At 53 years old and after several months of a mild sore throat and some ear pain, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 SCC cancer on the base of my tounge in early January 2015. I went to Wake Forest Baptist Medical…
What did you eat during treatments?
It must seem odd that I'm asking this question, since I went through H&N treatments with the other folks here. My experience wasn't quite the usual one though--I had a PEG tube from the start, and beyond swallowing water mostly relied on it during treatments because narcotics caused my stomach to largely shut down. So I…
Current patient and wanted to introduce myself
Hello all, I am new to the group and am posting my situation in case someone has a similar situation and has questions. I was diagnosed with stage iv SCC N-0 March 2014. I had surgery to remove the tumor in my sinus cavity and my soft palette was removed with some hard palette, due to personal feelings about quality of…
New caregiver need advise
Hello to all, I am new to this entire process. My husband was just diagnosed with 2.5cm mass on base of tongue. He also has a spot on lung found by accident when is CT scan was done. The surgeon said no surgery because it is too large. We meet with the radiologist on Tuesday. What questions should we ask about his…
Maybe useful info
For those of you on Medicare who have found that additional scans will not be covered there may be a solution. Medicare recently approved low dose CT lung scans for people on Medicare, under 77 years old and with a history of smoking. You must have smoked within the last 15 years and smoked on average of one pack per day…
Can't Find My Earlier Posts
I am a Stage 4 throat cancer survivor from 2008. Relatives told me to forget it and go on, never wanting to hear again about my battle and treatment. But I re-discovered my username for this blog after many years. Years ago on this site I asked about an old high school friend was sold on not getting standard medical…
Erbitux
Hi everyone, I have just joined recently. I have stage IV SCC (Supragalottic). T2N2M0. I've been hoarse since September and hoping my voice comes back once the tumor begins to shrink. I am preparing for treatment with 35 rads beginning the first week of January. My oncologist wants to implement cisplatin or erbitux in…
Have you
has anyone had liquid run back down their nose. I was drinking coffee and suddenly felt my nose running and coffee was coming out. Sometimes when I eat a biscuit I feel like I want to sneeze and its in the base of my nose. This is only just started.
OK, Stanford Medical wants me to speak and show the SLP's how to make Products Laryngectomees need
Ok I went to Stanford Medical yesterday 430 miles round trip to have my TEP Prosthesis changed [so I can talk]. This one lasted five months and might have gone just a little longer, and they have been only lasting two months. So once again it is time to certify and recertify the SLP's who work with TEP's. They have me…
I found this product.....
via a friend who's dad is going through throat cancer. Granted it's not full of calories, BUT it's a protein powder that comes in flavors other than vanilla and chocolate.....it actually comes "unflavored" so can be added to anything that could use a boost in protein. You could get 21 grams of protein in a glass of water .…
Trying to hang in there
To catch folks up, since I haven't posted here that much in the past 6 months or so, I was treated for Stg. IV SCC HPV+ in my left tonsil and soft palate in mid-2012. I had chemoradiation with cisplatin. I was all clear until late October of this year, when pneumonia revealed a mass in my right lung. It's the same cancer…
Newly unemployed
Now the insurance problem lands on my doorstep. COBRA, or continued under my current plan, I will learn about in the next few days, but I've heard that's very expensive. So, do I explore Obamacare plans? Isn't there enrollment dates that are only for once/year? Worked at the place for 21years, 10 months, and 9 days. There…
Day 1 in the books
and I am so proud of my husband. Radiation and Chemo (cisplatin) done like a champ. It was such a long day, and I am so glad my parents were here to get my kids from school and make them dinner because we didn't get home until late. I cried a lot today, but my husband was so strong. He doesn't feel any different so…
Freaking out!!
My husband went for his first post treatment pet scan and we are scheduled to meet with our ENT on Friday to discuss the results. This afternoon, his oncologist called to tell my husband that he has seen the pet scan and the BOT in the tongue looks very, very good...small spot there but it may be inactive/dead and that the…
I just need to vent and get it out: UPDATE
I do not expect any replys, but I hope by just getting this out it will help me in some way deal with my grief. I do not talk with my sister for the last 18 years after my Mother passed because how she was and had become and lied to my Aunts. I do wish her all the best, but that does not include being in my life, I have…
Another newbie
I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who posts on this site. I've been lurking for a few weeks now and have already learned so much. I am 'the wife'. Paul was diagnosed with Tonsil cancer, stage 4b SCC in September. Neck dissection followed in October and Cetuximab and radio kicked off two weeks ago. The…
Security Alert
Has anyone else received a "security alert" when signing in to CSN? Should it be a concern?
Auction quilt UPDATED
So I posted the wallhanging/quilt in an earlier post. Here is a picture of my husband and I with Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly - who is a survivor of H&N SCC. He was kind enough to sign the quilt and it was auctioned off and brought in $150. Very emotional evening for my husband and I. Barbara
So many new people...
Just reading the posts over the last week or so, it seems that there is a whole new "class" of folks lined up to receive treatment or are just beginning their treatments. I just wanted to say I'm thinking of ALL of you. It is such a rough and rocky road, but you will make it. My husband and I have hit the 6 month post…
Insurance solution? Maybe....
Well, after an hour of updating our information on the Marketplace and seeing premiums that were outrageous...I had to walk away for a few days. I now have logged in and found a policy that is about $50 more a month than what we are paying now. Is it comparable like they say? No. Is it worth having "something"? I think…
New to this, but getting experience real quick
Hi to all out there and my sincere best wishes to the same I have only recently joined this elite club and have paid my membership dues in full. When I first heard the nasty "C" word, it most certainly came as far more than just a shock. It was a smack upside the head of the most gargantuan proportions. I very quickly…
Update on Mom
I don't know who remembers me but I posted on here for the first time last year when my mom first found out she had head and neck cancer and had moved to her lymph nodes. Well she finished treatment. Terrible side effects. She finished first week of September with 12 chemo treatments and 34 radiation treatments. She can't…

Head and Neck Cancer

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