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We are starting our journey to recovery
We were enjoying life when it turned on us with a diagnoses of scc tonsil hbv T2N2bMO. First I am having trouble getting over my husband being missed dx for at least 6m and 3 docs and a CT. Just sore throat doing its job! I guess that is the angry part of this nasty C. Fortunately God put a great ENT in our lives two weeks…
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Contemplating 2nd Jaw Surgery
Help me out here, I've had a trach and feeding tube from my last go round with NPC and don't have a trach or feeding tube anymore. I need to finish the jaw surgery by getting the bone out of the back of the leg, but I'm just dreading waking up again with a trach, feeding tube, catherder and a sore leg and jaw. My jaws…
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Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Went to my Dermo the other day for my semi-annual check-up.... As you know I fish a lot, live in Florida, and I'm fair complexion... Anyways, I usually have a spot or two that gets frozen, tops of my ears occasionally, etc... MD recommended me having Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) which my insurance covers. It usually (from…
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nine years on
Just a bit concerned about sensations I am having around the scar of the removal of a 21/2 cm lump nine years ago. I am feeling a numbness on left side of face ans a strange sensation under my teth LHS. I had all clear after five years of check ups. The tumor was low grade and surrounding area all clear. I feel silly about…
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pro-active instead of re-active
Hey everyone ! Well made the appointment with the onc's at the U. Rolie also has a re-check with his team for his annual diabetes check the same day. Killing two birds with one stone so to speak. Our daughter's will be coming with....because of Rolies vision and our appointments being so close together.....one will stay…
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Toes in the Water ~ Fishin
Well, the week-end is here... Time to relax, reflect, and get out of the office and on to the water.... Last week-end was a Banner Day.... I was on the water early, tide was looking good, perfect for my Flounder area... I was supposed to take someone, but he bailed on me, so I had to go it alone.., rough I know huh...,…
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Your prayers and mojo worked!!!
Once again my CSN buds pulled me from the abyss. My scanhash owed continued shrinkage of the lung tumors and the mediastinal nodes. The beast continues to try to silence me, and all I have to say to the beast is F$&K you!! You will eventually get me, but it will be on my terms, not yours. You all rock!! I do not post…
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An Annoying day
so I was scheduled for my 6 month PET, at 9:30 this morning managed to get there with not too much scanxiety and about halfway to the appointment I get a call saying there meds were screwed up and rescheduled me for 2:45 instead, which would have been fine, excepth that you cant eat, so by 2:45 I was hungry cranky, tired,…
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What would you do?
So you are meeting with your Oncologist four years out with zero evidence of cancer. You have had lung nodules detected in the previous four years but they remain unchanged. Your Insurance company denied your last scans because you were asypmtomatic. Your Oncologist suggests you have a recurrent cough that is creating…
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Nasopharyngeal Cancer
I am 45 yrs old, was diagnosed May 2012 with Nasopharyengeal Cancer (sinus). Went through Chemo and Radiation, rough times! Then took CT and other scans, came back it had spread. Taken Chemo again, but last scan showed no new growth so I am on a break from Chemo for now. Happy time! Was just wondering if any others out…
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Update on the whatisit in my head
Hey folks! Just wanted to stop in for a quick hello and update. I'm still around, responding to posts here and there even if life is hectic right now. When I saw the new ENT here in LA in late April, he ran a follow-up PET scan. At that point it was about a year after diagnosis (HPV+ SCC Stg. IV) and about 9 months after…
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Financial worries and guilt
As Jim's condition continues to decline I feel guilty about worring over my financial situation when I am alone. I will not be able to stay in our home on my retirement and Social Security alone. Rent is higher than my current payment. We live in a manufactured home, which is paid for but lot rent goes up every year. We…
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Interesting and clearly written article, from my favorite Webpage.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/cunnilingus-michael-douglass-cancer-and-the-hpv-vaccine/#more-27830 The repeated use of the other "c" word, however, seems to be primarily for it's shock value. Deb
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MEC Time Frame
Hi All, I haven't posted a thread here in probably a year because everything has been going relatively well since my treatment. Just had my 3rd PET scan last week but my Dr. didn't set up an appt. for the results. If all is well they will probably mail me the results. Being only 16 months out of radiation treatment I am…
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My new tshirts!
I visited the site www.choosehope.com and found some really nice merchandise and they donate proceeds toward cancer research. Here is the necklace, keychain, and shirt I got myself (with the head and neck ribbon color).... Then a fellow warrior got me this as a sweet gift when I finished treatment...she has 6 rads to go...
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More Chemo
About six weeks ago, I was told that there would be no more chemo for my metastasis to the lung and ribs. This threw me into a deep depression with extreme insomnia. However, at the next monthly visit, my medical oncologist offerred a series of Methotrixate infusions. Received one. The following week, I was running a…
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Caring for the caregiver
Good morning! Finally feeling a little human again. Sweet husband cancer survivor Jim had the misfortune/opportunity to take care of me for the past couple of weeks. As one who has degenerative spine and disk disease, from the time to time I have to have a spinal fusion. I managed to put this last one off until we got the…
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Anniversary of Sorts
2 years ago today I had my first all day chemo treatment , cisplatin, taxotore, and my favorite the 5FU pump, I would have 2 more of these all day treatments each 21 days from August to Oct before starting 7 1/2 weeks of rads with 1 infusion of carboplatin for ever week of rads. As I sit and remember the last 2 years , I…
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Restless Leg Syndrome
I have to admit, I used to think this wasn't a "real" thing. I had heard of it and my mom swears she has it, so I blew it off because she is one of those people who has EVERYTHING. Well, I have been proven way wrong. After surgery,they kept those leg compression things on me for the whole 12 days I was in the hospital.…
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Update on mets
First, thank you to everyone for their well wishes and support. I had the PET scan yesterday and my sister, brother, husband and I met with the doctor. The good news is no uptakes in lungs, liver or bones so reoccurance is isolated. Tumor board is meeting tonight but some type of radiation will likely be the tx. even if…
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Said goodbye to PEGgy :)
I said goodbye to Peggy this morning! It feels so strange to not have that thing hanging around. I wasso grateful to have had the PEG, I don't think I would have survived without one. I feel such a relief for it to be gone, though. The nurse said it looked great, clean and well maintained but that I definitely didn't…
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Planned neck dissection to take one node out
Hey everyone! As many of you know, my Dad finished his tx Sept 2012 for BOT cancer with multiple lymph nodes involved. He had chemo/rads. Then he had CT scans and ultrasounds and physycal check-ups where they saw one lymph node still slightly enlarged (firstly 2cm and now in August even smaller: 1,8cm). It's actually no…
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Side effect to be aware of
I wanted to share with all of my friends here, especially those struggling during recovery or with recurrance. Long story short, LBC (life before cancer), I was strong physically and mentally, scrappy, great work ethic, involved in all aspects of life. Then I was married June 2012, diagnosed with stage IV SCC RT tonsil,…
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Scanxiety time again
Just had another scan of my lungs/chest Friday and of course on pins and needles until I see my doc and do another infusion of Taxotere on Tuesday. My last scan 6 weeks ago did show the tumors are shrinking so I do expect good news. This beast is so unpredictable as on my last trial I went 18-20 weeks with no visible…
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scared for my mother in law
My mother in law has had Papillary thyroid cancer which was first removed in 2000 along with her whole thyroid. Well she had a recurrence in 2010 and the mass was removed from lymph node and she had her radioactive iodine treatment again. Well at that time there was a very tiny mass that was seen but left behind. It stayed…
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I'm concerned
A couple weeks back, I went for my ,1 year 8 month, check-up and scope. All was good. NED Since then, about a week ago, I started sneezing and coughing and just in general, feeling like a head cold. Just thought I'd ride it out, taking honey and cinnamon mixed. To get to the point, 2 days ago, I awoke to the raspy, in and…
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Hit the Road Jack!.........
Hi Folks, Finally got in a little while ago. The preliminary "OFFICIAL" good news is I'm..... The final reads won't be available until tomorrow but the PET department told my RO they saw nothing that raised any red flags and that it looked good to them. My scope looked great overall. Swallow study went well and I'm where…
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Acinic Cell Ca. Parotid Gland and Mestastases to Neck Lymph Nodes., Stage 4
I have Parotid gland and metastases to neck lymph nodes. Three surgeries, all failed to excise. Metastasized to neck lymph nodes. Is there any chemotherapy or any threatment for this acinic cell ca? I was told just surgery. I had radiation also. Neck tissue is very scarred and thick and damaged. Fearful of fourth surgery…
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Just got the word....
I got the call shortly before leaving work today. My 1st post treatment PET scan will be next week, Tuesday August 6th, 15 weeks post Tx. It's going to be a LONG day as I have to be in Baltimore by 8am (leave VA a little before 6am) as my appointment is at 8:30am. The test takes 2.5 hours. Then it's off to Speech/Language…
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Michigan Oncologist accused of fraud and putting patients at risk
My heart goes out to the people here in Michigan that were involved with this doctor. He did his hematology oncology fellowship at the world-renown Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He was voted one of the “Top Docs” in hematology or oncology in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 by Hour Detroit Magazine. Fata…