How long have you survived

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  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    Pam M said:

    Hi - Six Months
    Sure is good to see those bigger numbers. Me, I was stage IV scc Base of Tongue (T2N2). Six months since treatment ended March 16; treatment was nine weeks of induction chemo (Cisplatin,Taxotere and 5-FU) followed by seven weeks of radiation with weekly chemo (Carboplatin). Scans are good (watching one node).

    We feel some hope
    We are facing the exact same treatment you endured. Husband has stage IV SCC BOT cancer with 1 positive node. Your survival is an inspiration to us. Buzz had his first chemo on Monday and now is starting to feel awful.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member

    ~11 years
    squamous cell

    ~11 years

    squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue... I don't recall the classification, but they whisked me pretty much immediately into surgery. 1 coma, 1 month in the hospital, 3 months of radiation.

    Hi Matthew
    11 years now that is something to be happy about

    PS: Welcome to our little faimily here on CSN
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    How long have you survived?
    I just passed the 10 year mark, YEEEEEEE HAAAAAW; I am so grateful to be alive!! I feel that beyond survive, I thrive. I truely believe in the adage that every day of life is a gift. I had stage 4 base of tongue cancer when it was finally diagnosed. I had radical surgery (as it is referred to) to remove the 5 cm tumor, along with seventytwo lymph nodes among which 6 were positive. I had 38 sessions of radiation (oh, such fond memories of the treatment...I don't think so). Hang in there pascotty; it gets better...........*

    PATRICK
  • Joel4
    Joel4 Member Posts: 263 Member
    patricke said:

    How long have you survived?
    I just passed the 10 year mark, YEEEEEEE HAAAAAW; I am so grateful to be alive!! I feel that beyond survive, I thrive. I truely believe in the adage that every day of life is a gift. I had stage 4 base of tongue cancer when it was finally diagnosed. I had radical surgery (as it is referred to) to remove the 5 cm tumor, along with seventytwo lymph nodes among which 6 were positive. I had 38 sessions of radiation (oh, such fond memories of the treatment...I don't think so). Hang in there pascotty; it gets better...........*

    PATRICK

    Going on 6 Months
    ...Since I was diagnosed with SCC unknown primary. Had left neck dissection, 42 lymph nodes removed along with tonsils. One lymph node cancerous with no extracapsular spread. No further treatment.
    So basically I learned that cancer had spread in my head and neck from an unknown source and that the source may be in there lurking still. There's a pleasent thought.
    Had a PET scan a couple of months ago come back with suspicious BOT activity. Biopsy came back negative. Yay!
    Everyday I thank God for healing me. Everyday I have moments of doubt, fleeting moments, and I wonder if I did the right thing in not getting radiation. It was the tumor boards recommendation and I still know that it was the right decision for my particular case BUT doubt itself is like a cancer and it can creep into your mind and grow.
    I feel the occasional pain in my throat or neck and immediately imagine a grapefruit sized tumor growing on my tongue. I wonder if my kids will be able to handle it if I had to have my tongue removed.
    These moments of fear are short lived but they can really get under your skin some days.
    I feel like I haven't had an exam in several months but it has only been 4 weeks. I find myself looking forward to having a tube jammed up my nose and the docs fingers down my throat just to know that things are still looking good.
    Sometimes I think it would have been nice for a primary to have been found on my tonsil just so that I'd know where it had started and blasted the heck out of it.
    So I will continue to fight this mental fight with prayer and positive thought.
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    patricke said:

    How long have you survived?
    I just passed the 10 year mark, YEEEEEEE HAAAAAW; I am so grateful to be alive!! I feel that beyond survive, I thrive. I truely believe in the adage that every day of life is a gift. I had stage 4 base of tongue cancer when it was finally diagnosed. I had radical surgery (as it is referred to) to remove the 5 cm tumor, along with seventytwo lymph nodes among which 6 were positive. I had 38 sessions of radiation (oh, such fond memories of the treatment...I don't think so). Hang in there pascotty; it gets better...........*

    PATRICK

    Congrats
    Patrick
    Congrats on 10 years. Just amazing, a great success story

    I read your profile, you have a wonderful attitude. I believe whipping cancer is 80% positive mental attitude, accepting help, believing all will be ok and it will be, Staying with God and your faith, and never, never, never giving up.

    We all here on CSN at Celebrating with you on your 10 year award.

    John
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    Joel4 said:

    Going on 6 Months
    ...Since I was diagnosed with SCC unknown primary. Had left neck dissection, 42 lymph nodes removed along with tonsils. One lymph node cancerous with no extracapsular spread. No further treatment.
    So basically I learned that cancer had spread in my head and neck from an unknown source and that the source may be in there lurking still. There's a pleasent thought.
    Had a PET scan a couple of months ago come back with suspicious BOT activity. Biopsy came back negative. Yay!
    Everyday I thank God for healing me. Everyday I have moments of doubt, fleeting moments, and I wonder if I did the right thing in not getting radiation. It was the tumor boards recommendation and I still know that it was the right decision for my particular case BUT doubt itself is like a cancer and it can creep into your mind and grow.
    I feel the occasional pain in my throat or neck and immediately imagine a grapefruit sized tumor growing on my tongue. I wonder if my kids will be able to handle it if I had to have my tongue removed.
    These moments of fear are short lived but they can really get under your skin some days.
    I feel like I haven't had an exam in several months but it has only been 4 weeks. I find myself looking forward to having a tube jammed up my nose and the docs fingers down my throat just to know that things are still looking good.
    Sometimes I think it would have been nice for a primary to have been found on my tonsil just so that I'd know where it had started and blasted the heck out of it.
    So I will continue to fight this mental fight with prayer and positive thought.

    KEEP THE GOOD FIGHT GOING
    Hey Joel,I know that the uncertainty can be a bear, but you've got positive results (i.e., no cells) from the biopsy, so go with that great news. Keep up that positive mental attitude, fortified with your faith, and, as they say, take it one day at a time living each day to the the fullest (as you no doubt already do)! On a side note, unless a tumor had completely engulfed your tongue, it would not have to be removed, especially these days with the advances in radiation technology. I had a 5 cm tumor removed from the base of my tongue 10 years ago, and my ENT (God bless him!) was, by and large, able to rebuild my tongue. This past July, when I was hiking to the top of Mt. Washington in NH, and pouring a can of food down my PEG tube at a shelter half way up, a fellow hiker, who happened to notice (hard not to), came over and told me that he too had had tongue cancer. He (Ralph)told me that 3 years ago, when he was diagnosed, he had been treated with a new radiation tool, which precisely targeted his tumor and erradicated it without surgery. Ralph said that his PEG tube was removed 3 weeks ago, and he was hiking up Mt. Washington to celebrate.

    PATRICK
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    fisrpotpe said:

    Congrats
    Patrick
    Congrats on 10 years. Just amazing, a great success story

    I read your profile, you have a wonderful attitude. I believe whipping cancer is 80% positive mental attitude, accepting help, believing all will be ok and it will be, Staying with God and your faith, and never, never, never giving up.

    We all here on CSN at Celebrating with you on your 10 year award.

    John

    THANKS
    John, thank you for the congratulations and for your kind thoughts. I am with you 100% regarding whipping cancer! I very much appreciate the CSN group celebration, THANK YOU!!

    PATRICK
  • Joel4
    Joel4 Member Posts: 263 Member
    patricke said:

    THANKS
    John, thank you for the congratulations and for your kind thoughts. I am with you 100% regarding whipping cancer! I very much appreciate the CSN group celebration, THANK YOU!!

    PATRICK

    Thanks
    Thank you Patrick for the encouraging words and congratulations on hitting the 10 year mark. That is awesome!
  • pascotty
    pascotty Member Posts: 174 Member
    Wakey wakey
    Thought I'd wake this post up again. Please add xxxxx
  • Jan Trinks
    Jan Trinks Member Posts: 477
    Almost years
    Hi all:

    Even though Charlie passed away in Aug. 2010 I still consider him a survivor for almost two years and as his doctor told me after his passing we did get a remission and I will be forever grateful for that as we did get to do some things we wanted to do and he did return to work for a little over a year so it can be beat if for some for only a little while; it's better than nothing! Keep up the good work everybody!

    Jan (Basketcase)
  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member

    Almost years
    Hi all:

    Even though Charlie passed away in Aug. 2010 I still consider him a survivor for almost two years and as his doctor told me after his passing we did get a remission and I will be forever grateful for that as we did get to do some things we wanted to do and he did return to work for a little over a year so it can be beat if for some for only a little while; it's better than nothing! Keep up the good work everybody!

    Jan (Basketcase)

    Jan 28th
    January 28th, 2010 was last radiation day...and chemo is when I started the long haul in recovery I am so glad and proud to be behind you Jan...Glad to see you here for your support, Thanks to you and Charlie..Still pushing forward, not threw yet. Dennis.
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    pascotty said:

    Wakey wakey
    Thought I'd wake this post up again. Please add xxxxx

    Since lump or actual c diagnosis?
    I think the lump, who was called Rutherford, was first seen this last summer, in August 2010, so that would put me @ 5 months or so. Actual diagnosis was in the middle of surgery for what was thought to be a benign cyst, 11/18/10, so about 2 months counting thataway.

    T1N2b, tonsil, left neck dissection. About halfway through daily radiation and weekly chemo (carboplatin), to finish up in early February.

    Great to see so many with years and years!

    Be well!
  • sportsman
    sportsman Member Posts: 97
    Survival
    I will be in February four years post treatment for pharyngeal cancer. Did not think I would make it initially but I am Blessed by still being around.
  • harper rose
    harper rose Member Posts: 13
    sportsman said:

    Survival
    I will be in February four years post treatment for pharyngeal cancer. Did not think I would make it initially but I am Blessed by still being around.

    surviving!
    Last rad for stage 4 tonsil cancer was Sept.3,2010. My pet/ct scan is set for Feb.3rd. I feel, as does my oncol, that I am fine! I told her that I refuse to have it any other way!

    This site is wonderful, even when things are beyond difficult for any and all of us, this site has such a positive attitude.....thank you! HR
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    Seems like forever
    8 months since finshed chmo and radiation.


    Bal
  • ekdennie
    ekdennie Member Posts: 238 Member
    depends
    for me it depends on how you look at it.
    I first noticed my tumor 6 years ago (jan 2005). I was diagnosed in late june 2010 (6-7 months), had it removed in august 2010 (5 months ago) and finished radiation at the end of Nov 2010 (1 1/2 months). either way...I survived it and I will continue to survive! :)
    Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Hard Palate with growth into the Maxillary sinus causing decalification of portion of septum and portion of right upper jaw. T2N0M0, low to intermediate grade clear cell variety, stage 4a clinically, stage 2 pathologically
  • arjenkins
    arjenkins Member Posts: 36
    so good to hear the succcess stories
    All of your posts...from a couple of months to 10+ years post treatment give me inspiration. My Dad just took his 5th chemo today (as well as which ever number of radiation this is)....2 weeks left. Just praying for great results for him and everyone going through this ordeal!

    I definitely believe in a positive attitude and faith in God are two of the most important aspects...they sure have helped my Dad and me so far.


    Praying for you all

    Andrea
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    arjenkins said:

    so good to hear the succcess stories
    All of your posts...from a couple of months to 10+ years post treatment give me inspiration. My Dad just took his 5th chemo today (as well as which ever number of radiation this is)....2 weeks left. Just praying for great results for him and everyone going through this ordeal!

    I definitely believe in a positive attitude and faith in God are two of the most important aspects...they sure have helped my Dad and me so far.


    Praying for you all

    Andrea

    Time goes by so fast
    It will be 6 years on March 2011 from 2nd treatment
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    dennis318 said:

    Jan 28th
    January 28th, 2010 was last radiation day...and chemo is when I started the long haul in recovery I am so glad and proud to be behind you Jan...Glad to see you here for your support, Thanks to you and Charlie..Still pushing forward, not threw yet. Dennis.

    WooHooo Dennis318
    Almost your 1 year anniversary....

    Congrats,
    John
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    arjenkins said:

    so good to hear the succcess stories
    All of your posts...from a couple of months to 10+ years post treatment give me inspiration. My Dad just took his 5th chemo today (as well as which ever number of radiation this is)....2 weeks left. Just praying for great results for him and everyone going through this ordeal!

    I definitely believe in a positive attitude and faith in God are two of the most important aspects...they sure have helped my Dad and me so far.


    Praying for you all

    Andrea

    More Help
    Does this help more. As of Jan. 18th Tuesday will be my 15 years.

    Congrats to any survivor!

    So everyone knows Survivorship starts the day you are told "you have cancer"

    John