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TEP Information
I had a TEP installed Wednesday and I'm having a bit of trouble. I'm producing a lot of mucus, and I have to clean the TEP about once an hour or I can't speak. I'm hoping this is temporary, but I would appreciate any estimates on how long I can expect this to last. I know from reading this site that everyone has a…
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Thick mucous question
Hi all! My husband is almost through with his 35 rads and only 1 more round of Cisplatin. Of course, he's battled the loas of taste and appetite, some fatigue, and sore throat. All of that, he has taken in stride. But, the thick glue like mucous is almost more than he can bear. Our question is will the mucous situation…
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Consultation on Friday... questions
Hi Everyone, My husband has his first consultation with the medical and radiation oncologists on Friday. What are some questions we should be asking? We have a notebook and have written a few things down. He wants to avoid cisplatin if possible due to the risk of hearing loss and neuropathy. As a musician the hearing loss…
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Things I didnt expect
I didn't expect to go "downhill" so fast I didn't expect to be totally dependent on my son I didn't expect to not be able to spell(???) you may see perfect spelling, but I have a program, gotta love programs I didn't expect to have to drink gallons a day or eat non-stop I didn't expect to be so shaky or so weak (should…
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Neck dissection shows mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells - had tumor removed 20 years ago
Hello. 20 years ago I had low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, I had maxillectomy and no radio or chemo and have been disease free since then. I had an elective surgery recently to reconstruct the maxillectomy since I was disease free for over 20 years. As part of this elective surgery, the doctor had to do a bit of…
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Food Tips in Recovery
Hi There So last week I had my clearance PET scan, but it was inconclusive. Apparently my inner mouth & throat have suffered such a profound insult that they still haven't healed up (still, after 3 months, thick with mucus). The scan couldn't differentiate between damage, inflammation and cancer, so I have to re-scan in 2…
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Chemo help
Mar 26, 2017 - 5:22 pm Hey All. any help would be Hey All. any help would be appreciated. Tomorrow my husband goes back to the clinic to see if he can receive the second dose of Cisplatin. This was supposed to happen last week. I know I've mentioned severa times that his kidneys are really taking a beating from the chemo.…
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loads of questions
My name is Kent and I have been lurking here for a while. I am 60 yo male My primary found a suspicious lump in my neck on 1/12. I'll streamline what you probably can predict I have hpv+ tonsilar cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes On 2/20 I had a radical tonsilectomy and neck disection with 30 lymph nodes removed.…
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Mother newly Diag. SCC - Base of Tongue, Input please!!
Hello! My perfect mother was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carc last week after complaints of throat pain for 2 months and a subsequent CT scan and Biopsy. "They" say it's very early and we are awaiting the PET scan. Everyone seems to be SUPER cheery about her prognosis and as if it is no big deal - which is GREAT. Given my…
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Step-daughter of NPC Patient
Hello everyone- my name is Reagen and I'm new. I'm new to this site, but more than that, I'm new to the world of cancer. My-step father was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal carcinoma yesterday. He goes in for a PET scan Monday to find out what stage it is. I'll update this post when we find out. I'm unsure of what to expect…
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Submandicular glands
Hello all, April 1 will be my one year anniversary of my first surgery for tongue cancer. I'm doing well and have my first post-second treatment PET scan in 2 weeks. I had both glands removed with each of my 2 neck dissections. For those who got their saliva back, did you have one or both glands removed? I can't see how…
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Stinky poop
I am 3 months post. I did 35 IMRT and 7 Carbo/Taxol. About 3 weeks ago I stopped living on nutrition shakes and began the transition to real food. That has gone mostly well, taste is coming in fits and starts but is coming. Dry mouth ranges from annoying to total. During treatment I had severe constipation, got over that,…
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Partial Glossectomy (1/2 tongue replacement) and Dentures
For those that have been following along. I finally got my teeth......it was not insurance that covered although I will continue to fight them. I ended up taking out a loan. Is there any one who had a partial glossectomy and dentures? Wondering how you're able to eat. I am having a hard time. First with the dentures…
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5 YEARS AND COUNTING
NED >> CURED >> No Cancer >> whatever you want to call it…. I reached this proverbial (post cancer treatment) milestone and I am happy to still be kicking, after my official ENT visit. Life is certainly different (now); I have a host of new H&N friends and reminders of what has happened to me, some good, and some bad. I…
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Recommendations for oral surgeon familiar with H&N cancer
Hi all, wondering if anyone here can recommend an oral surgeon familiar with operating on people that are post H&N cancer radiation treatment. My upcoming issue is Tori bone growths on the bottom of my mouth. This May, I'll be 5 years post treatment and I'm a good two to three years out I think, but I'm wanting to do…
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New and looking for some insight.
Hello everyone, My name is Michael, 32 years old and somewhat diagnosed in January of his year. I say somewhat diagnosed because of my "occult primary" presentation. Left cervical lymph nodes so far seem to be all thats been able to be found. I had a direct laryngocscopy from the initial ENT working me up. Fortunately Im…
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Allow myself to introduce..... myself
Hi Gang; Husband of other new member "Chicklette" here. As she mentioned in her "Introducing Myself" post, I have recently received a diagnosis of HPV+ Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I have the classic lump in the neck which I noticed while shaving back in December. When it didn't go away (I had a cold at the time) I went to get…
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Introducing Myself
Hello, Everone, I've been lurking for a few weeks now hoping I would not have a reason to join. However, tonight we got the phone call confirming that my husband has SCC HPV+ with an unknown primary. It's been around two months since my husband found a lump on his neck while shaving. (Seems that a lot of these cancers are…
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Osteoradionecrosis - trouble with area around extracted teeth.
In 2003 I had Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer and went through both chemotherapy and radiation. The side effects were the usual dry mouth and thyroid problems but since 2014 I have had to have several teeth removed. I underwent the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy before the first teeth were removed. In January I had another tooth removed…
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Started as salivary gland stage lV.. can someone please dumb these results down for me.. my dads res
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Acinic cell in parotid: what has been experience over time?
Hello, I am 1 year post removal of a small acinic cell cancer tumor in my parotid that was also wrapped around a facial nerve. The surgery also took out multiple lymph nodes, which were all clear, and clipped the nerve. That resulted in a droopy lip and seems to be healing slowly. Now there is a band of numbness from my…
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Salivary gland cancer stage 4
Hi, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 salivary gland cancer he had an 11 hour surgery at UCLA to remove the tumor. He had 7 weeks of Monday - Friday radiation... he had been cancer free for almost a year, we just found out a few weeks ago that his cancer spread it's near his eye on the bone and also back of his skull, they…
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Ultimate Smoothie
Hi all, I'm just about 5 years post chemo/radiation treamtent for tonsil cancer. Going to get another PET scan soon just to put my mind at ease (I hope :-) ). Like many, I had a very hard time during treatment. I tried to be a "tough guy" and not get a feeding tube. That didn't go well and ended up getting one installed…
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Mucoepidermoid carcinoma
Hi Everyone! I found out last week that I have mucoepidermoid carcinoma and I can't find that much information on this type of cancer. I'm 29 and felt that I was quite young to be diagnosed with this type of cancer as I don't drink or smoke, but from the reading I've done so far, it seems to affect a variety of people. I'm…
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Need info on thyroid problems and "cures" after radiation/chemo
I'm 2 1/2 years out and generally doing well. But others in my support group report what sounds like hypothyroidism after reaching about 4 years out. Has anyone found ways to strengthen the thyroid before the problem develops? Thanks and good health to all!
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Transitional Cell Carcinoma in my tear ducts
Just wondering if anyone else has been diagnosed with Transitional Cell Carcinoma of their eye? I went blind briefly in my right eye in February of 2016, radiologist missed the obvious tumor on MRI review, so it was another 9 months of growth until my right eye started to bulge out. A CT scan showed a mass the size of a…
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Ringing in Ears
I did a search and it did not find anything on this topic so thought I would ask. I am 3 months out from chemo and last week I stated to get ringing in my left ear. I went to the ENT and an audiologist said I have hearing loss in high frequency in left ear which is where I have the ringing. But since I do not have any…
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Post ENT appt
I had my follow up appt. with ENT this week! He said CT scan was clear for sinuses! I have slightly deviated septum and swollen turbinate on left (problem) side! He feels the nosebleeds are being caused by the turbulence when air passes through! Btw, I was never scoped! Of course I'm elated that the scan came out clear…
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Tomorrow is the big day!
I had my first set of CT scans last Friday since completing treatment to see if the cancer (squmous cell carcinoma on the base of my tongue and lymph node) is gone. I'm meeting with my doctor tomorrow to go over the results of the scan. Of course I'm nervous as hell and that is all I've thought about 24/7 since Friday. I…
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And so it begins..
I have found the waiting around to be the worst part, waiting for appointments, waiting for results, waiting, always waiting. Back in December, I had, what I thought, was an ear ache with some pretty damn sore lymph nodes. So with my insurance, I have teledoc, handy for the stuff you don't want to trek to the Drs office…