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Easy to swallow holiday.
Since I would like to eat with the family for the holiday, and after Thanksgiving I realized if I want something I can eat and swallow I best bring it up there myself. I am trolling the Internet for ideas and I came across this site which might be beneficial to those of us with swallowing issues.…
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Lost A Fighter
I am a poster here and I know that this is off-topic, but I just had to say something. I met a woman at a Gilda's discussion group who was suffering from stage 4 cancer. I only met this woman once, but she made quite an impression on me. She was valiantly battling a cancer that had ravaged her body but she was still upbeat…
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Is the chemopherapy drug 5FU too toxic?
My wife Connie is in a clinical trial. She is doing induction chemtherapy. She has cancer at the base of her tongue that spread to the lymph nodes in her neck. Her chemo regiment is 3 week treatments 3 times. The 1st day she does Cetuximab, Cisplatin and Doxetacel, then she takes home a pump with 5FU which pumps continuous…
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First chemo today
Whew!! What a long day! In an effort to get treatment started as soon as possible, my husband went to a different hospital where his onco practices to get the first treatment in. It is 55 miles from where we live. The drive this morning (during rush hour) turned out to be rather pleasant. We made it in about 1 hour 20 min.…
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Cancer coming back ??? Angry now
I havent been on here for a while, was busy dealing with chemo & rads of which i recently finished 4 weeks ago. On 26th July this year,I was operated on for cancer in the mouth, they dug a big hole out of my mouth and took some skin flaps from my left wrist to fill the hole, i spent 3 weeks in hospital,then 2 weeks…
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Nasal Congestion
So i have been using the NED nasal cleaning solution, which helps. Does any one know how long the congestion last and how long i will be blowing my nose. It's frustrating, but better than being dead. I have dry mouth real bad, but the stoppers 4 helps and i can get by o.k. with that. There are other side affects that still…
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Finished treatments!
Two weeks ago I finally finished my 35 radiation treatments to my sinuses and cervical lymph nodes and 2 rounds of 8 day chemo treatments. Now I am home and trying to find my new normal. There is a lot going on emotionally - I spent a several days in tears. My biggest challenge is recovering from sinus surgery and the…
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PET Scan & Exam Results
For the first time since July 2009, my husband has NO EVIDENCE OF CANCER DISEASE in his body! Doc says he is not surprised he can't swallow, it's still early after the surgery (3 months)and we need to give it more time and more swallow therapy. Easy for us to say, we are not the ones who can't swallow our own spit. But Bob…
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Basketcase checking in!
Hi all: Hope this finds everyone enjoying the season and not too stressed out! I did get all my decorations up and even the outside ones and the lights too which was Charlie's job. Now, it's probably not plugged up like he did it, but I did manage to still just have to flip the switch on the power strip to turn everything…
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First Day of Treatment
Thanks to all of you for so much information. Today is Dad's first day of radiation and chemo. Tomorrow is the surgery for the feeding tube. I guess we are in full swing now with treatment. I am a little overwhelmed as is Dad....some of it is a surreal feeling. I told him today is the first day in the battle to get better.…
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Just started treatment
My husband had his first chemo yesterday and 2 days of radiation. This is all so new to me. He lost his appetite immediately, and is so tired he slept hours this afternoon and went to bed early. This is only day 2, and I just wasn't expecting him to go down so fast. Is this what others have experienced? Do I need to be…
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Pain in the Head HONDO Up-date 12-16-10
As survivors we need to be on watch about possible infections that can happen at anytime and to any one of us. As most of you know I have been having very bad pain in my head for the passed many months, I have seen 2 different Oncal doc’s and 3 ENT’s about the pain and none of them could find anything wrong. Well never…
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pain in my neck
I'm 10 years post treatment and now for the past month the back of my neck has had limited mobility and it hurts to move too much. I can barely lift my head up. I had a neck dissection along with everything else and was wondering if this could be from that even though it was 10 years ago. Or if anyone else has experienced…
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Tongue SCC questions
I had a biopsy last July ('09) in the area of a painful sore that my surgeon called a chronic ulcer. The biopsy came back as papilloma vulgaris. He said vascular activity as a result of the surgical trauma at the site of the biopsy might cause the sore to heal. I waited and the pain/sore eventually came back but eventually…
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sciatica?? do what now???
He had been having pain in his left leg from hip to toe that had been getting progressively worse since Sunday. For hubby to ask for meds means its baaaaaad. He took Tylenol 3 with little relief. So off the to ER we went. His diagnosis: sciatica. Ok, do what now?? After I did research, I found that sciatica is a secondary…
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update g tube is out - "what a long, strange trip it's been"
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Dr Feng said "well, you ready?" and in an instant my buddy, the narrow tube that's kept me hydrated and fed for 8 months, vanished. I kept the tube and will attach it to my other buddy, Mr Rad Mask. I'm thinking feathers and…
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In the NED club
Met with my radiation oncologist this morning, one week after post-radiation PET scan. NED! Now I can relax and let the healing progress at its own (slow) pace.
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CLEAN CT SCAN OF NECK AND THROAT SCOPE
Not quite a happy dance yet, that will not take place until Feb. 24th when I get my first PET Scan. My ENT Doc. was thrilled with the CT Scan of my neck this morning. He said there is absolutely nothing on the scan to be concerned with. He also scoped me and everything looks great. He did say I am still very swollen in the…
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Post Surgery PET & MRI Wednesday
Please say a prayer, howl at the moon, or whatever you do - for my husband on Wednesday afternoon. He is having his 3 months post surgery pet and mri, after surgery for hypopharyngeal recurrence cancer (had chemo/rads @ first occurrence). If nothing shows on pet, will not have to have chemo or more rads. You are all so…
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Who out there understands SUV (Standardized Uptake Value)?
I met with my ENT/Surgeon today to discuss my 3 month PET-CT Scan and he is concerned with the SUV level on the scan which was 2.7 (the higher the number the more likely that the area of activity is cancer). Anyone out there understand the SUV? I have three options at this point: 1. Wait and repeat the PET-CT Scan. ENT…
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NOT so clean PET/CT Scan. Anyone out there with a similar experience
I just got the results of my 3 month PET-CT Scan following SCC @ BOT with one lymph node on the same side involved and it showed residual activity in the lymph node which measures 0.4 (it was previously 1.2 cm). The tumor at the base of the tongue is gone. Radiation oncologist is not concerned (I am!) and believes that…
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WGM Stage4 Tongue, base of mouth
Hello, my name is Bill and my mother (WCG=World's Greatest Mom!!) was recently diagnosed with stage 4 tongue and base of mouth cancer. Lymph nodes look like they might not be affected but not 100% sure of this. Our first DR. took a week for this, a week for that and time is passing which has me stressed. We waited a week…
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advice needed - we were given chemo options
Hi everyone, Dad met with the oncologist today to discuss chemo. To our surprise, they gave him 3 options. 1)standard radiation and 3 cisplatin tretments (std care) 2) radiation and cisplatin weekly which i guess is a lower dose and 3) induction chemo of taxotere-5FU-cisplatin. She said the induction is very hard on…
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I don't know what to do...
My boyfriend was diagnosed nearly a year ago with laryngeal cancer. I met him in the summer, and only found out about him being sick in October. He simply didn't do much about it since his initial diagnosis. He had one biopsy done but he doesn't have health insurance because he's self-employed (however, the cost of…
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Need clarification, please. 'in remission' vs. NED
Ok. I have a couple questions that I would like to have answers for, if you've got them. Glenna's post on Mick's thread was making me finally ask. Can some one give me the idiots guide breakdown of NED vs. 'in remission'? I never had a follow up PET or anything. No one has ever really said, go forth! Your cured! Lol. I…
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ear ringing
Anything to help with the ringing in the ears? Brad
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Estim Swallowing Treatment Research
People who get radiation therapy for head and neck cancer often experience trouble eating and swallowing. During radiation treatment, and up to 3 months after treatment, eating difficulty usually occurs because the radiation "burns" the tissues in the mouth and/or throat which can be extremely painful. After 3 months after…
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Goodbye to my taste buds.....
Goodbye to my taste buds.....alas they are leaving. It happened so suddenly, I am 10 days into rads I thought maybe just maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones. I even prayed for it, though I know it is selfish. I was eating my usual foods when I realized that I had an extremely sour taste at the back of my throat. I tried to…
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Fast Food Medicine
I’m going to see my new medical oncologist in January. My original doc’s treatment center didn’t have their contract renewed with my group insurance provider. I’ll miss my old doc because he listened to what I said, didn’t seem in a hurry to get to his next patient, and wasn’t professionally defensive. A year from…
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update and an annoyance
Hi folks. 3 days out of the second esophageal dilation and things are good. I am swallowing a little better than before and will know more in a few days once the sores from the procedure heal and I can take this throat out for a real test drive. I'll keep you posted. However, it looks like I'll be keeping that date with Dr…