-
Xylimelts - when they work, what do they do?
I'm experimenting with ways to deal with dry mouth. My rad oncol is very stuck on xylimelts, but when I try them they seem to not do much. If they work for you, what do they do?
-
Scary choking
So my husband has started this new lovely form of choking. I know it's from the rads and the mucous. But it's scary. And it hits him out of the Blue. He's been drinking water but honestly it seems like the water makes it worse sometimes. Today he was so bad that he threw up. He can't help it. He says it usually happens at…
-
Bad Weekend
So on Sunday I declared to whover could hear (son and dog) that this thing wasn't keeping me prisoner, and that I was going to Lowes, for a few brackets, hanging baskets, and flowers. Go to Lowes, saw my friend, started feeling a bit rough, then rougher, I'm not sure think I passed out on the patio furniture a few times...…
-
Neck dissection shows mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells - had tumor removed 20 years ago
Hello. 20 years ago I had low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, I had maxillectomy and no radio or chemo and have been disease free since then. I had an elective surgery recently to reconstruct the maxillectomy since I was disease free for over 20 years. As part of this elective surgery, the doctor had to do a bit of…
-
Cancer Pain after treatment
Hey There Having gone through the chemo radiation for HPV+ tonsil cancer, I'm now in that 'limbo time' ... But not the funny dance under the stick ... The time where you are pensively waiting for your PET scan and hopefully NED outcome. (I already had my 3 month scan but it was inconclusive due to too much damage,…
-
When reality hits
So, as I'm sitting here waiting while my husband gets his mask made, I saw the radiation machine and reality smacked my in the face and almost knocked me over. It's becoming more real. Watching it on TV or reading other people's stories is not the same. "This is stuff that happens to other people. This stuff doesn't happen…
-
Last chemo day!!
My husband had his last chemo today!! We were still on the fence this morning And honestly, so was our oncologist but we went with an even lower dosage and fluids eveeyday for two weeks. He rang the bell today and it was more emotional than I thought. He only has 3 treatments left. we are so ready to be done!
-
Thrush, steroids, and acid
Hi all, So this weekend we were blessed with another new symtpom. My husband had another dose of Dexamethasone on Friday via IV along with fluids to make sure we get through the weekend. He also took the pills on Sat. and Sun. During the infusion he was fine and even after he seemed OK. A couple of hours later he began…
-
NPC Treatment
Hello to all of you in this extremely inspirational group. My Husband will begin Chemo and Radiation tomorrow morning. I have found help and courage from all of you within this forum. We are fighting this "stuff" and your insight is priceless to me.
-
Lymph node and Tonsil swelling
Hey all, I've read a few dated posts and everyone seems very supportive and informative on this subject so I thought I'd start a thread. I'm 24/M and feeling anxious about a few swollen glands under my jaw which have been there for close to 6 months now and my tonsils have just swollen, just enough to feel them when I…
-
Something in my nasal-paranasal area
Hi you all I'm 16 y guy. I have been more or less sick almost a year now. I've had many right side sinusitis (not radiographed, but clinically diagnosted..) and I've had ten antibiotic courses from may 2016. On may 2016 the doctor lavated sinus because of the symptoms, but there was no pus. Sinus was only "narrow" or…
-
Potassium level dropped
We get to spend at least 5 hours at the hospital tomorrow. Hubby's potassium and magnesium have bottomed out. He is getting depressed now too. I guess 12 straight days of being hooked up to an IV will do that to a person.
-
esophageal cancer survivor
Hello, My husband was diagnosed stage 4 metasised on 6/30. He could not have surgery. On 11/09/02 he had a completely clear PET scan. Please contact me for details. God Bless
-
Gone, gone, gone..
I was telling my brothers, "I still have my hair" next day.... all fall down. Still have my taste buds, now, what's a taste bud? Still, have an appetite... except it's gone... I'm just over halfway, but this round of chemo has been really rough. I can't say "not sure how much more I can take" cos I have to go all the way.…
-
Everything Has Changed
Hi Everyone, I have piped in & you guys helped Me soooooo much. Unfortunately, I felt luck at the beginning of Recovery. My Chemo Dr treated Me like a "Test Rat". I was having an amazing recovery, unlike others. During treatment had every side effect. My mouth inside was so burned, so filled with sores, I could not even…
-
First post second treatment NED
So far so good. I've had 5 scans in a year and my latest is NED. Staying cautiously optimistic, though and getting better every day. Cheers!
-
Prayers and positive vibes needed!
Hi all, This isn't totally cancer related but since joining I have felt nothing less than the utmost support and caring from all of you. Today is a big day for my husband. I have mentioned in some of my other posts that we were hit pretty hard with 2 big blows. My husband was not offered a teaching contract for the new…
-
Thick mucous question
Hi all! My husband is almost through with his 35 rads and only 1 more round of Cisplatin. Of course, he's battled the loas of taste and appetite, some fatigue, and sore throat. All of that, he has taken in stride. But, the thick glue like mucous is almost more than he can bear. Our question is will the mucous situation…
-
Running out of hope
When you're afraid of losing someone you love so dearly, you do everything in your power to help them. My sister has been fighting stage 4 npc for 1 1/2 year now. The primary site is between her eyes & its the size of a baseball. It has metatases to her spine & liver. She also has multiple liver cysts on her liver which…
-
A heartfelt thank you
I posted here a few months ago for the first time as a distraught mother of a son who was diagnosed with Stage 4 scc HPV related cancer. I received so much support and advice (advice that I provided to my son) and I just wanted to say thank you to all the warriors here who are going through this battle and who have…
-
Low heart rate
Has anyone had a problem with a low heart rate after head and neck cancer treatment? My husband finished treatment 2 years ago ((NED - yeah!) for stage 4 tonsil cancer, HPV and P16+, he had IMRT along with 3 doses of Carboplatin. He is 63 yr/old and went in for routine cataract surgery to find his pulse was 48, which in…
-
HPV recurrence non surgical treatment choices
Good afternoon warriors! My Husband was diagnosed Nov 13, 2015 with base of tongue and larynx t3n1 squamous cell cancer. He recieved 39 rads and 14 erbitux. The tumor shrank but was still present so we went to Philadelphia to Dr Gregory Weinstein and on June 10 2016 had a hemiglossectomy with partial larynx removed. We…
-
Taxol/Carbo and nails
Husband's nails turning dark and look like they may fall off. Anyone with experience with this?? Crystal
-
Thrush
omg, this is as bad as having my tonsils removed when I was 23. I had tonsillitis every other week, finally saw a specialist (this was in the UK) and I was in a "good" week, and he said they looked great, I explained, that they wouldn't next week. So instead of a huge wait, he gave me a pass to come back the next week, if…
-
Post Treatment Cancer Related Fatigue
I was diagnosed with squamish cell carcinoma (throat cancer) in late October 2016. Had a tumor on the base of my tounge and limph node on the left side. Started chemo and radiation treatments in November and completed all treatments in mid-January. I had 6 chemo treatments and 38 radiation treatments. No surgery. What my…
-
Depression
All throughout my treament (and before) for SCC of the tongue what I heard was you have to be positive thats 1/2 the battle. I had 3 surgeries, partial glossectomy (1/2 of my tongue replaced by a skin graft from my arm), a trach tube, neck disection and lymphnodes removed, powered through a major infection at the site of…
-
Muscle Spasms in Neck: Can anyone relate?
Howdy everyone. It has been a while since I have posted a thread; but Mark is complaining more and more of "tightness" in his neck. Last night for the first time, he described it in a way that I could understand better. He said it was like having a constant muscle spasm in his neck, and he is combating that pain all day,…
-
Trying to make the right decision
On March 1, 2017 my ENT found a swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck. He scheduled a CT Scan and a FNA biopsy. On March 7th the biopsy showed positive for squamous cell and the CT Scan showed a small mass on the lymph node about 1/2 inch in size. This started a whirlwind of appointments and procedures with a…
-
Milk substitute
Hubby is refusing Boost or Ensure ever since he threw a Boost up Friday night. We've returned to Carnation Instant which is fine. However the milk aggravates his mucous issue of course. Should we give almond milk a try?
-
Refusing Radiation
My husband just found out he has cancer a week ago. They are searching for the primary. In the meantime, he has a friend with head and neck cancer who told him the horrors of radiation and that he should just have surgery. While our cancer team has yet to give us his cancer plan my husband is already totally against…