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Head and Neck 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…
phrannie update....
Let's see....the neck dissection is now just little line on my neck....plus a lot of wrinkles...When I knew I was going to have this surgery, I was nervous I'd look like I'd had half a neck lift....I don't know how they managed to pull it so tight and yet leave wrinkles?? I feel like a baby bulldog...like I have to clean…
Things are getting harder
as we knew they would, but still it doesn't make it any easier. My husband is half way through his 6 chemo treatments (cisplatin) and almost half way through his 30 radiation treatments for his tongue cancer. Starting on Christmas Eve is when the eating became hard. Up until that point he was doing fine, and then poof,…
End of life
When I was on here a few months ago looking for help with radiation and chemo, I remember a few of you were family members of those who have passed. While this is a scary topic for some, I need help. My mom is terminal. She was told she had a year to live just 3 weeks ago and now she is told she has less than 3 weeks (with…
Another famous person
Uh, there's some famous people who have had H&N C. Just read about another. Uh. kcass
complications need advise
My husband was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer. We live in NE Pennsylvania about 2 hours from Philly. The pathology report stated that it was "large cell undifferentiated carcinoma markers, with neurendocrine features. Positive for epithelial markers,MOC-31, chromogranin, synaptphysin". Our oncologist suspects that…
Need Advice Please
Hello. I'm hoping someone out there has been in a similar situation as ours and can lend some advice: My husband, 48, was diagnosed with cancer in late November. On December 15, he underwent a 7 hour surgery to remove the tumor from his left tonsil/base of his tongue. The tumor was approximately 2cm in diameter. He also…
Never a dull moment and a second NED!
It's 5 in the morning and my husband bolts upright in bed and starts writhing in pain! Welcome home from vacation! The mystery is solved when we go to the hospital and get an ultrasound that shows some "sludge" and small gallstones in the gallbladder and bile duct. Evidently his digestive system doesn't like the Boost and…
Today he rang the bell
as he finished his radiation. 6 weeks of rads done. Chemo was finished last week. These past 6 weeks have been a beast, but my husband and our family have made it through. I never thought this day would get here but now the day has come. All of you here have been such an important part of our journey so far and I thank you…
resources
I was just diagnosed with the 3rd squamous cell on my upper gum. 1st on was in 2004, 2nd 12/14, 3rd 12/15. The cause of these are from the Colbolt radiation that I had in 1975. I have had other surgeries for other side effects too. I am still paying for last year's surgery, now I need 3K before I have this surgery. I need…
Newly diagnosed, surgery soon
Hello, I was diagnosed wish Squamous cell carcinoma two months ago. I am having surgery on February 8th, and i am terrified! We chose MD Anderson because that was the surgeon's recommendation, following my biopsy diagnosis. the surgeon at MDA said there is a possibility of losing some jaw bone, and teeth as well. I have…
feeling stupid
Hello everyone! I have commented on a few posts here before and always find everyone's experiences enlightening and promising. I feel really stupid, sometimes, tho when I read about different types of head and neck cancers. I have finished 37 weeks of radiation and 6 chemo/cysplatin...AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MY CANCER…
Tingling in legs and feet when I tilt my head down
I am a head and neck cancer patient. Had cancer of the left tonsil that had spread to a lymph node. I completed treatments last August. In September I developed tingling in my toes and fingers. Was told this was periphial neuropathy due to my cisplatin chemo. My recent PET scan did not show anything abnormal. Recently I…
'Nother NED
Today I got the news that my PET scan results were okay. What is really awesome is that I was able to share the news with a fellow CSNer, SonjaK, at lunch today.
Went Back to Work
Just want to say I went back to work two weeks ago. Wed will be 8 weeks since treatment ended. I am working 3 12hr shifts a week in Labor and Delivery. I dont know how I did it/do it but its OK. It helps me feel "normal" and I am so tired of being "sick" I realize I am blessed and will not complain alot about treatment…
Recurrence - looking for next steps
hi all, i was first diagnosed in Spring 2015 with squamous cell carcinoma tongue cancer. My surgeon tried to operate but changed his mind due to size and location of tumor and so I spent the summer on chemo-radiation as we tried to shrink the cancer. While it did shrink some, the cancer came back and I had a sub-total…
Question about Sleep patterns
My husband has finished his first round of chemo. That went well with little nausia. He became dehydrated and went into kidney failure which led to being hospitalized. Of course there was also low white cell count. This is now being controlled. However, it has seemed to affected his slepping pattern. He has troubles…
Radiation and tube feeding
My husband is finishing his second round of chemo. During his first round he has Cisplatum and it did a great job of shrinking the tumor on the side of his neck. However, his kidney functionwent downhill and he ended up in the hospital for 5 days. His oncologist changed to Carboplatum, whic seems to be doing ok. They are…
Biopsy?
I had just assumed that the oral surgeon is sending me on to the head and neck cancer specialist for the actual biopsy but I honestly don't know what to expect at the visit coming up on Wednesday. So if anyone has been through this, what was your experience on the first visit. Is he going to biopsy, cut the tumor (on my…
Surgery
So, tomorrow I go for the scans and the result of the biopsy. I presume that whatever the outcome, surgery will have to be done to remove the tumor for my tongue. Can anyone tell me about that? The tumor is on the side of the tongue and it's about the size of a quarter. Thanks
1 month out from treatment; scan tomorrow.
Saturday marked 1 month from the last rad day for my husband. He is doing so well, and things are really getting back to normal here. He has his first scan tomorrow, MRI, and we are praying so hard that the results are good. We don't get the results until March 3rd when we meet with the rad onc. My husband feels great,…
In need of advice
HI everyone: My mom lives in Iran, we have pretty good doctors there, but SCC is a strange cancer since it is not talked about that much. She was diagnosed last summer with T2 SCC she had surgery and Radiation (33 sessions) but in December she had to have another surgery and the doctor said he got 90% of the tumor but a…
Hi I'm Richard - Just dx'd squamous cell carcinoma Feb 9th
I am 53 and I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on February 9, 2016. I don't know much more than that as of yet, but I meet with the cancer surgeon on February 29. One lymph node on the left side of my neck is 2.5 cm X 4.5 cm, an the CT scan showed a mild asymmetrical thickening on left base of tongue - possibly a…
It is not cancer until they say it is
What we hoped would be the last ENT visit turned into something else. There is a mass on Jim's neck which must have a needle biopsy. It is in the same area as the original tumor six years ago. Doctor said it is not a lymph node. There is a lot of scar tissue and radiation damage so I'm praying it is something to do with…
Hot Dog!
I never thought I would get excited about such a "mundane" thing...but whoopee! my husband actually ate a hot dog while we were on vacation a few days ago. Since we are weaning off the PEG tube and everything has been pretty soft and pureed thus far, this was a big step forward...mentally and physically. Now I'm thinking…
joined
I am a eight year surviour of HNC. Just found this site, I am researching common long term side effects of erbutux, cystplatin and IMRT radiation.
It was time for me to join
Hello let me start out by interducing myself. I'm a 40 years old with a wife and 3 kids living in Minnesota. In the middle of May 2015 I was dx with SCC HPV+ of the tonsil with 3 positive lymph nodes. June treament started with 35 radiation tx with 3 Cisplatin. My last treament was AUG 3 2015. Then I had my first pet scan…
1 Year Since Final Rad - Is this something to celebrate?
Today marks one year since my final of 30 radiation treatments. What a year it has been. It is amazong at how far you come in just a year! Scans in the next month and praying for NED. DX 01/12/2015 - Stage 3 No Nodes HPV+ Tonsil BOT 30 rounds IMRT 7 fields No Surgey or Chemo No tube but did get within hours Could go over a…
Kent, I must say...
You bare a striking resemblance to 007!!!
Emotions
As the date of my surgery is approaching, I'm having some anxiety, a little depression, fear, etc. I suppose this is all "normal". The unknowns are the worst. The best case scenario is that it won't be overly invasive where I need reconstruction but just sutures. I'm worried that all this time passing, the cancer is…

Head and Neck Cancer

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