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PINO TEA - Gagging and eating difficulty
gagging new I have just finished my 30 sessions (radiotherapy only) last Thursday. My problem all through this has been the taste of food/gagging. My throat is sore but not as bad as the horrible mucus in my mouth. Doctor said just to keep spitting it out. The salt/bi-carb (in warm water) does help slightly and I believe…
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gag reflex
Hi folks. The last two days it's been a roller coaster. I have 12 rad days to go and I can still eat and drink. The problem is that the mucous is so much that when expectorating the stuff pushes my gag reflex and *everything* comes up and doesn't stop until it's all out, I mean ALL OUT. This is different to nausea. I do…
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Kick-off Monday the 15th - 0800 Hours
Another one walks into the flames. Tomorrow is Day 1 for my Chemo and Radiation odyssey. Looks like they will burn me for 38 days, ending on May 5th. I will be poisoned in three rounds, in week 1, week 4 and week 7. My chemo oncologist is planning to infuse Cisplatin over a two-day interval, for each of the three rounds.…
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First Scan Tomorrow, Need Prayers
Hi everyone, Im going this morning at 8:30 to have my first Pet/CT scan since my last treatment this last December, and I humbly am asking for any prayers you could say for me. I am really nervous, hence the fact that Im still up and It's 12:15 am here on the east coast. But seriously, any prayers and luck is greatly…
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VITALSTIM OR E-STIM
Hi Everyone, My husband was diagnosed with throat cancer is August finished treatment in November had both Chemo(2) & Radiation(35) and now has difficulty swallowing. He has a PEG yet but only uses it for water. He is able to eat some foods and drinks ENSURE. His swallow studies show he is aspirating on some of his…
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Article
Although this literature is from 2000 and the survival rates are probably higher now especially with the new information about HPV Squamous, this article is very detailed and covers almost every angle. I read this a while back and then couldn't find it. Finally stumbled on it again. Copy and past the link to your address…
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Pet Scan again
Hi everyone!! I haven't been on CSN for quite some time. I do check in and see what's going on:) I wish everyone the very best, always. I go for my first PET scan at the end of April. We don't have a PET scan here on Vancouver Island, so I will be going to Vancouver to have it done. I have a few questions, if anyone could…
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interesting decision by deputy chief of american cancer society?
Headline news in the Chicago Tribune on 3/8/2010. Deputy Chief medical officer of the american cancer society refused to have a CT scan done citing the risk for cancer was too high. It seems an imaging test revealed a small nodule in Dr. Len Lichenfelds lung. Article does not mention type of imaging test or why it was…
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treatment day 8 - taste beginning to leave
This is starting sooner than I expected, but of course not a total surprise. 8th treatment today and the sides of my tongue feel a bit numb and food is losing its flavor. I also notice I'm getting a bit cranky - short tempered, irritable, not very nice - especially when I am getting asked a barrage of questions like "how…
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Pet Scan
Had my first Pet Scan since treatment ended Dec. 27th. All clean. There was a little hot spot in throat but the Dr. said that it is common this close to treatment and is not worried. Will do another scan in 3 months then he said one a year after that. I want to thank everyone here who has provided help, encouragement and…
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Hi Fellow Fighters!
Just wanted to check in and say Hello. I do read all your posts because you have all become my family. I have been busy with my 80 year old Mom, who has been it 2 Nursing Facilities, and hospitalized twice in the last 5 weeks. The care in these places are incompetent, and I feel sorry for the elderly who have no one to be…
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Acupuncture
I have read on this website about using acupuncture treatment to help restore the saliva glands. I am now out of treatment (35 Rads) for just a little over three years and still suffer greatly from dry mouth. I have used quite a few products to help alleviate this problem with little or no avail. I have tried the drugs for…
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SCC of left oral tongue and floor of mouth
my father was diagnosed with left oral tongue cancer and it is also on the floor of his mouth.. has anyone out there had any experience with this? the doctor said it was rare, it only accounts for about 3% of oral cancer, now i have come across so much information and spoke with different people on this board regarding…
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Day 12 - Pain and what I ate today
Wow. The pain of the radiation is difficult to describe in qualitative terms. It hurts. A lot. The sheer intensity is unlike anything I've experienced before. I could imagine having my skin peeled and that seems to work. Every swallow is traumatic. How do you guys do this? I discovered the joy that is magic mouthwash…
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Head & Neck Radiation / BP
Carotid sinus Here is a problem that may or may not affect you at some point in your life; Damage to the Carotid sinus due to radiation of the Head and Neck. If you are having problems with too Hi or too Low of a blood pressure or maybe a mixed Hi & Low, you may want to just keep this web site in your files somewhere.…
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surgery/radiation
i am now thoruoghly confused. was all ready for the torture of radiation, and then went to a head and neck surgeon today and he says he can get it all with removal of the lymph nodes and the tonsils. any imput???????
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Feeding tube
Hi all, Just tried to flush my feeding tube for the 1st time. It has been in since Wednesday last week. So far other than losing control of my life, this is the only thing that scares me. It still has the bandages on it from surgery and I have asked everyone, being the Ro nurse, the MO nurse and the Rns where i get my…
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More than one surgery?
Hi there I haven't posted in a few months but was hoping someone has an answer to this question. My mum's tumour in her sinus cavity was not completely removed due to the location mum had 5 weeks of radiation in Nov 09 not a high dose because of the location of tumour that was left. Well now the bugger has come back my…
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Skiffin16 - Update
Friends, Just a quick update…. I had my routine CT and blood work this week. Yesterday I went for the follow-up consultation with my Chemo MD. All of scan images were good, nothing new to be concerned about. All blood work is good, actually finally after almost 15 months my blood is all back in normal ranges. Kidney and…
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MRI and Biopsy Report!!! Help Needed
My father got the results of a TONGUE biopsy today..in the end it is written that "squamous carcinoma " MRI report suggested that.. enhancing soft tissue lesion seen in left half of tongue reaching upto midline.It measures 50 x 22 x 28 mm in AP,transverse and cc axis.the base of toungue is uninvolved Please help me to…
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Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma - Parotid Gland
I survived this rare cancer about a year ago, and I would LOVE to talk to anybody who has/had this or even knows anybody that went through this. I really need some support. I have most of my taste buds back, but my saliva is almost non-existent (I live on Biotene spray, mouthwash, gel, etc.). My biggest problem is still…
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Just radiation
I just got back from San Francisco, after talking with the Radiologiest. Their plan is to treat me with just radiation since I am a Kidney transplant recepiant. Most if not all froms of chemo that we have discussed cause renal rejection. The doc's said that in the last two weeks of seven that I will be having radiation…
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Water Bottles
Hi I know this is going to sound darn trivial to people who are right in the middle of treatment and so on at the moment, but can anyone advise on "THE PERFECT WATER BOTTLE" one that is good for sipping from when in "high company" or during singing so that it is discreet, and one that is suitable for sports, or any…
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Hyperbaric Medicine
Four and a half years after tonsil cancer treatment another phase of the cancer journey has entered my life. While eating a few weeks ago I bit down on a piece of food and felt what I thought was a loose crown.I immediately made a dentist appointment. A quick exam revealed a loose tooth as opposed to a loose crown. The…
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HPV
It seems that so many of you did not smoke and mostly all were HPV positive. I am really trying not to live in fear but I want to do everything I can to minimize my chances of getting head/neck cancer. Since my husband was HPV positive, I am at risk. It is now possible to spread via kissing.(so I've read) I do live a…
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Thyroid
As many of you may know I am not a cancer patient but a caregiver. On another note I do have hypothyroidism and have been on medication (synthroid) for many years. I was always told that I didn't have a problem until I had gone to the ER with severe headaches and they ran tests and asked if I had ever been on thyroid…
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Smoking
Hello everyone, My husband is in his second phase of treatment, the first round we finished in Sept but the PET showed areas in the chest that is now being treated with more chemo. I have read so much on this site about what everyone else has been going through and I want to do everything I can to keep me and my husband…
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Diagnosed last Monday (Squamous Cell -throat cancer)
Hi, I'm very new at this. I had a lymph node removed a week ago and when the results of the biopsy came back the ENT surgeon said it really surprised him and his colleague, as they were sure it was Hodgkin's lymphoma, but it turned out to be Squamous Cell and throat cancer with an unknown primary. I'm to undergo a Pet scan…
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post treatment pain and gunk
My husband is almost 4 wks post treatment... he is still having a lot of pain in his throat and a lot of gunk that comes up with odor. He can't eat or drink anything. He is getting physically stronger.. and the feeding tube is working well ... but I was wondering if you could give me some idea how long this should last…
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Please Welcome Coupe35
Team, I pulled the following post from Mary's So Afraid post. Coupe 35 is new to the community here. I thought Coupe35 might get lost in the shuffle, so am starting a new thread. Here's Coupe35's first post: Looks like I have this rare cancer. Had the PET scan and one node in the neck and the nasal area lit up. I will be…