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Swollen Lymph Node
I'm approaching a year since I was diagnosed with SCC unknown primary and had left neck dissection. Since then I have had checkups every six weeks where I get scoped and the awesome hand down my throat manuever. A few days back I noticed a swollen lymph node in the back of my neck. It's the kind of thing I get from time to…
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Gobbler Neck Revisited
There was an excellent thread on this topic a few months ago. So far, I've seen that it goes away within a year for some, doesn't go away for others. While we're waiting to find out which group we are in, I'm thinking of trying some of the devices mentioned - NeckCaddy was one and the Universal Plastic Surgery Facial Band…
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Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentines Day to everyone here on these message boards! I'm holding you all in my heart today. I could not have survived this without you. Sending healing and positive thoughts to you all. Have a wonderful day! Deb
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Scared to look for work
I've been out of work for a long time now and I'm sick of blaming the economy. The problem for me is I'm absolutely petrified to meet prospective employers with a face like mine -- paralyzed on one side, can't smile, and can't really blink my eye. I've always felt that first impressions on interviews are so very important.…
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LET THE FIREWORKS BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to ask who is doing the flouride trays? How often, and for how long do you leave them in. I have been doing them since radiation was over, about 10 weeks, every day , leaving them in about 30 min. My concern is the cancer that fluroide can cause. This is an old topic of conversation, but I recently read an…
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CT Anxiety ****UPDATE****
The anxiety begins.... I had my routine CT this morning...especially stressful on this one as I just had knee surgery. In doing that, they of course knocked me out, and shoved the breathing tube down my throat. This was a week or so ago. Well every since, my throat on that side has been soar and swollen. Glands are swollwn…
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Radiation for six weeks
My surgeon said he did get all the cancer out of my mouth, but I need to have six weeks of radiation. After reading the posts about the toxicity of flouride, and dry mouth and breaking teeth, I am very worried about this. I am trying to find a great radiologist that cares about people in Southern California or the San…
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Xanax before the Pet Scan
Some time ago there was a thread on this subject, and how the Xanax did more than just calm the nerves- it also did something to fat(?) which helped in reducing false positives. I recently had a check-in with my regular Dr. and threw that past him, and he didn't buy it. All I wanted was one measely Xanax tab! No dice. So,…
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Treatment Options - Recurring HNC / Unknown primary
Round two? Looking for anyone with information regarding treatment options for a recurrence of Metastatic HNC unknown primary (2 lymph nodes). My husband was originally diagnosed 2/18/10 biopsies of lymph nodes came back SCC, had tonsil removed and tissue biopsy's all negative. Treatment at major cancer center 10 weeks…
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Big News: Neck Dissection "Not Fun”
Last week I got my first post-treatment PET back and was clean. Yeah! So this week we did the long-anticipated cleanup of the battlefield. The surgeon went into the neck to clean out the lymph node which had been cancerous and which is now shriveled up and dead from the rads as well as its downstream neighbors. As such…
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Advice for a newbee caregiver......
I have appreciated reading all of your posts since Oct. I've started a new thread because I've asked some of you questions before and then I can go back and find the original post (I'll get the hang of this). I have a question that hopefully someone can answer. My husband had a branchial cleft cyst removed in neck that was…
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The Food Network Conundrum or..eating versus watching or..what WAS all that about?
It is so interesting that many of us watched the food network during some of the worst times during treatment, when we had not watched prior or have not watched it much after treatment ended?? Thinking fond thoughts of you all, Stacey
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dental prosthetic or dentures and seasonal colds
I have a dental prosthetic in the roof of my mouth called an obturator. it fills in a good sized hole and helps prevent fluids and food from going up into my sinuses. I have been dealing with a cold this past week where I have been having to do a lot of vomiting. I was just wondering, if you have something similar (or even…
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A Prayer for the Dying
Father God, Give me the strength to help my husband face death with serenity and grace. Give us the peace we need to make the most of our time together. And give us Your love in abundance. Remind him I am with him to the end. Amen.
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FIRST DENTAL VISIT SINCE COMPLETING TREATMENT
I had my first dental exam since completing treatment on Oct. 20. All seems to look real good. I have 1-2 sensitive spots on my gums, but teeth look good and strong. Curious to know if you have had dental issues, how far out past your treatment date did they occur. My dentist says from his experience he sees damage pretty…
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Tonsil cancer-Mucoepidermold carcinoma
I was recently diagnosed with mucoepidermold carcinoma of the left tonsil. This is a bit unusual, in that most cancer in tonsils is classified as squamous cell carcinoma. The path to diagnosis started with the appearance of a small lump in the area of my neck under the left jaw. A CTscan revealed a mass 3.4cm by 1.5cm. A…
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NPC with HPV positive?
Anybody here know about the link between NPC and HPV. We went to the doctors today and was told that his tonsils are too large and they want to test to see if he is HPV possitive? And it he is positve for HPV, the doctor will remove his tonsils. He as diagnosted with NPC, but I did not know about the tonsils and HPV?…
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anyone heard of the VMAT radiation
I am a 56 year old male. I have been diagnosed with HPV-16 cancer. I had a lump removed from my neck (attached to lymph-node) and now I am seeing the doctor for the treatment prescription (radiation and chemo.) I will be getting my treatment at the VCU Massey center in Richmond, VA. Does anyone have any experience with the…
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Good News or Bad News?
I had a visit with a chemo onc today to discuss my recurrence of the malignancy in my neck. The fact that this little beastie laughed at the radiation and came back a few months later had me very concerned. Well, the doc was very reluctant to give me a firm "expiration date" as was to be expected. So, the news is that he…
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A couple of questions
Hey Everyone, Work has taken over my life again and has kept me from posting very much. Hope everyone is doing well! A couple of questions for you. I'm 10 months post treatment and doing well, but do have a couple of things I thought I'd run up the flagpole and see what you thought. Every afternoon I get terribly cold. It…
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2nd Belly Button Club
I am now officially a member! That stinky old tube served me well but I am absolutely overjoyed to be rid of it. Doc says I can jump in the ocean tomorrow! Wahooo!!!! Bob
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Lifting weights helping with rebuilding muscle and increasing energy level
A little over a year after treatment and everything is going really well. Saliva, taste and weight are pretty much back to normal except for my energy level. Although i could go to work all day and come home, if i layed on the couch come 7 or 8pm and i was out like a light! Before treatment I generally stayed up until 11…
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7 is my lucky number
OK I finally found an ENT that I like and can answer most of my questions. I don’t know why but it sure seams like the Female ENT doctors know a lot more or maybe they are just more into the feelings of people unlike my Male ENT doctors I have been seeing. Anyway right off she could see most of the problems I been having…
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What do you Enjoy doing
I was just wondering, what is it that each of us enjoys the most. For me it is two things. First: when I get to go home to Utila, normally now it is only on vacation. but when I do I love walking in my brothers botanical garden and being able to eat the fruit right off the tree, makes me home sick just thinking about it.…
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How should a caregiver handle the eating issue?
My husband is a little bit past the 4 week mark post radiation/chemo. I really don't know what to do with meals. Should I just let him decide what he wants (which is nothing)or fix him a plate of food and have him come to the table? For dinner last evening, I presented him with a very small portion of cut up rotisserie…
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Checking In
Hi all: Basketcase checking in here. I have returned from Chatt. this past Sun. afternoon after spending Wed. thru Sun. there helping my niece and her two girls get moved from their rental house to my sister's house. My sister has the son that returned from Ohio to bury his dog Marley that passed on on Christmas Day and is…
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nasopharyngeal cancer
Hi Everyone, I am new to this site and reading all of the support you give one and other is amazing! I am wondering if anyone is going through or knows of anyone going through treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. My mom was diagnosed with it about a month ago and starts treatments for it on thursday. She will be doing…
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Mornings
About 30 minutes after I wake I am hit hard with what I suppose is anxiety. I have never had it as far as I know and don't quite know what to do with it. It feels like I had about 10 cups of coffee. My stomach is restless and my mind is racing. It's hard to stay focused on what I'm doing and unless I distract myself with…
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Songs
Good Afternoon! I am working with my local Relay for Life, and I am one of the chair's for the Survivor events that will be taking place. I would encourage anyone to attend their local Relay for Life event. My family has been touched multiple times with cancer, and RFL has been a great way for us to Celebrate, Remember,…
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Food Before and After Treatment
I was hungry a little while ago and found myself in the Kitchen looking something to eat. There was all kinds of stuff I loved at one time in my life but find it does not quite taste the same any more, then I found myself eating something I never did like before C but love it now. This led me to wonder about the foods I…