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Just Starting the Journey
I am 55 years old and live in the UK. I was diagnosed with tonsil cancer after having my left tonsil removed in December. My treatment plan is 30 sessions of radiotherapy to left side of my neck and throat area. I have now had 8 treatments and already I am finding difficulty eating because of the taste. I know this is…
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Chef
Anyone heard from Chef? Hope I just missed his posts. I've been worried about him.
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Tongue and Mouth Ulcers
I am currently going through radiation for tongue cancer (only 11 treatments left!) and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to stave off mouth ulcers or how to control them. About two weeks ago, at the end of my third week of radiation, I had an outbreak of sores. They covered 2/3 of my tongue, my lips and…
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Mental/Life Outlook
I went this morning to get my haircut and the 2 barbers at the shop of course were asking me how I was doing. They have both known me since I was a kid back in the late 60's. I updated them on my recovery assuming they meant the physical part which when anyone asks is how I respond but they wanted to know if it had changed…
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TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS)
I am posting my story in the hope it might help somebody. In July 2008, at the age of 51, I was diagnosed with a Stage IV T4 N2b SCC of the base of the tongue. The local cancer board quickly came up with a treatment plan consisting of radiation and chemo therapy, which was explained to me by the local radio-oncologists. I…
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pounding
Hi All, Well I start my chemo and radiation tomorrow. But I am special. I get the bonus package. Start chemo at 10:30 then go to RO at 3:00 for the dry run, 1st radiation treatment special. What a deal huh? Went Thursday for the dry run and the machine was broke. So I get the package deal tomorrow. Keep me in your thoughts…
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Hi everyone!!
I just thought I'd drop in again. I am still hanging in there:) And slowly (I mean slowly), feeling better. My throat is still sore (4 months out of treatment now, and I've got those darn sores on the inside of my mouth. MD prescribed Magic Mouthwash again. Doesn't seem to be helping. I go next month to see the ear,nose…
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Man, when does the "WANT" come back...
Some of you guys are familiar with my story, but just a brief, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, base of tongue, 36 years old, 3 chemo, 35 radiation. My last radiation was Dec. 17th, 2009. My nausea is finally subsiding, my saliva is still pretty much non existent, it comes and goes, nights are worst, Ive trained my self to sleep…
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Testing image posting
My apologies. This is not really related, but was just wondering if we could post an image if we want to emphasize a point. [IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/kdalb4.jpg[/IMG]
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Eating
For the past three days I have not felt like eating (chemo 5 days ago). I am eating a little, but man my stomach feels bloated. I'm assuming it's the cisplatin because I didn't feel like this the day of the treatment. The bloated feeling has put me off food altogether. I am trying to eat a little frequently. I think…
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Lesser Evil - Pain Meds or Eating?
Need to whine. Which is worse - taking pain meds, or not eating? Took hydrocodone/APAP solution for pain a little while ago. I don't want to take pain meds. At this point, don't need them if I'm just sitting around - only took it just now so I can try to eat. Swallowing food seems to not be worth the effort. But I want to…
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Midwest people...
|Just wondering if anyone is from Minn...IA....Wisc..midwest. Just thinking if anyone has had Treatment at U Of Mn Hospital/Mesonic Cancer. Bob had a wonderful onc/Radiation team who treated him so well. We have a Trama Hosp. 2 miles away, but choose the U..the drive was worth it. I am so glad it's over for Bob going…
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Catch
Hi all Yea it is still me in the pick, only instead of a fish, I am now holding the biggest and best catch of my life. Best to all, Steve
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Help with "chicken neck" post treatment?
Well at least that is what my husband calls it...He is about 4 months post treatment for stage IV tonsil cancer, he went through surgery, 2 months of chemo, 2 months of radiation. He is slowly getting back to "normal", but he is complaining of this "chicken neck"--hanging, flabby skin under his chin. His surgeon said it is…
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New Treatments for Early Stage 0-1
Mike, my husband was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer May of last year. His cancer was most likely caused by Acid Reflux (Barretts Esophagus). He was scheduled for surgery to remove his esophagus in June at the recommendation of his gastroenterologist. This surgery is the standard in the U.S. for esophageal cancer. His…
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Where to go from here...
Being new to this site, I have had treatment for squamous cancer. I opted out of the surgery thing as the details were frightening! It (surgery) would have been a complete overhaul on my face and neck. Plus the fact that it would not guarantee a prolonged living. It would only maybe give me a year if not longer. I opted…
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Getting back to work.
I was wondering how many of you were able to get back to work after this ordeal? I have not been able to go back to my job. I was a manager of a shoe store. My job was very physical, and long hours. I had to work 48hrs a week, and had to close the store 3 nights per week. I would do two 12.5 hr days a week. There is no way…
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Primary found... the journey continues
PET-CT Tuesday showed asymetric increased metabolism in the right side of the tongue base and hypermetabolic bilateral cervical lymph nodes. Also, a 4 mm right upper lobe nodule of the lung (non-specific and below the resolution of the PET). Wednesday, my ENT did a Direct Laryngoscopy, Brochoscopy, and Esophagoscopy, with…
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Pain Med,s
Hello everyone I hope this finds you all well. I have a question if anyone can help.Is there any such thing as to much pain killers.They have my husband on fentanyl patch and he has oxycodone for break thru pain now they just gave him morphine to take also it just seems like to much to me.
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Lungs..
I know I have read on here that some people have had thier PET Scan come back with a spot or spots on the Lung/s...Bob had this happen in the beggining and they could not do anything as when they put his Port in and his Tube he ended up in ICU for a few day's due to his swelling in his throat. They did not Biopsy the small…
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Peg and port
Hey everybody, So here I sit at 2:00 a.m. wide awake after having my new devices installed. What a joy it was. Gotta say though, it really isn't as bad as I had made it in my own feeble mind. Yea there is some pain and discomfort, but it is going to be doable. Don't know why I had so much anxiety over the peg. Just the not…
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Sweats
I have a question for those of you who have been through the treatments. I completed mine 12 years ago but I am now finding things here on this board that I could not explain before. I see where many of you are cold - bingo, I see where your jaw won't open wide - bingo again and the list goes on and on. I am now having…
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Describe your treatment regime, i.e. what stuff, how much, and how often?
Hey, insurance finally said yes, and I get my PET-CT Monday, and tonsils removed, scoping, and many biopsies on Tuesday. I guess that is my scoping and staging phase? All we know so far is that the one 3-cm lymph node taken from the neck was mets SCC, and my MRI showed nothing. Here's hoping for more information! I know…
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Diet
Hello everyone, I have come to the time when I can eat things again after the surgery and was wondering about any suggestions for good books on foods that fight cancer. I know that in a short while I will probably not be able or want to eat, but I and my wife need to research this. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance…
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feeding tube
I was wondering if anyone has/had a problem with the hole in their stomach where the feeding tube soes into the stomach stinking? My tube has an awful smell that never goes away. It is and always has drained and I believe that is the probelm but I've seen the doctor about it 2 times and he says that is nothing wrong. I…
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I DESPARATELY NEED YOUR KNOWLEDGE - PLEASE HELP ME
Group, I just got results from a PET scan and need your help. When the doctor gave me the results he said, "the scan shows activity but maybe its just leftover radiation." I find that hard to believe and feel he is sugar coating the results. My family is thinking maybe it is swelling, tissue, throat irriation. Do you…
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New to this Board- A couple of Questions
I was diagnosed with SCC w/unknown Primary in Sept. 09. Had two triple endoscopies with multiple biopsies as well as a tonsillectomy with no primary found. Just the lymph nodes it had spread to. I finished 9 weeks of induction chemo with taxol & carboplatin 3 weeks ago and will begin chemo (cisplatin) w/radiation on…
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Too much information???
Wondering how much information you all get from your doctors regarding your scans and what type of post scanning is used? I have gone for two CT scans now and find them to be very exact in their findings and more thorough than a PET or MRI. Perhaps too thorough! My initial test was an MRi which found an enlarged lymph…
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Strange and Stranger
What makes things taste odd? What makes water taste better?? Any thoughts are most helpful! Stacey
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Wondering what might go wrong next but not giving up hope
Husband 42 years young diagnosis scc HPV stage 4 right side 5 nodes involved. neck dissection may 1 2009 Peg tube placed right after surgery.Chemo and radiation 8 weeks ended july 29th 2009.Had pain meds but did not use until end of radiation and then just to sleep.Some nausea but really through it all did pretty well…