Questions for doctor

debbiejeanne

Spec4Sully said:

swelling in throat

I wish i had asked these questions when my wife first went to the ENT. Well Radiation done on 4/13,   3 Biopsy's later Trach inserted 1/24/14 Shiley#4. Was told would be temporary but now she has swelling, no cancer....the cure destroyed her throat. Did anyone here ever have the swelling for a long period of time? We are new to this site and i am very confused as to what can be done. Any other surgery to open throat. She had the lump on her voicebox i forgot to mention.

 

hi, spec.  welcome to our

hi, spec.  welcome to our family but i'm very sorry you need to be here.  its been too long for me since rads (5 yrs) to remember how long my throat was swelled but my throat is permanently messed up from the rads.  my throat is partially closed and i have to have it stretched every 3 or 4 months.  there are others with throat stories also.  if i were you, i'd start a new thread and ask your questions.  that way it will get the full attention and replies you are looking for.  i'm sorry to say but throat problems after rads is very common.  i'm praying your wife will stay cancer free.

God bless you,

dj

phrannie51

Spec4Sully said:

swelling in throat

I wish i had asked these questions when my wife first went to the ENT. Well Radiation done on 4/13,   3 Biopsy's later Trach inserted 1/24/14 Shiley#4. Was told would be temporary but now she has swelling, no cancer....the cure destroyed her throat. Did anyone here ever have the swelling for a long period of time? We are new to this site and i am very confused as to what can be done. Any other surgery to open throat. She had the lump on her voicebox i forgot to mention.

 

Spec....do start a new

thread on the main page, so nobody bypasses this thread because of age (or just copy and paste your post from here).  This is the link to the front page:

http://csn.cancer.org/forum/164 

On the left hand side, immediately under Head and Neck Cancer.....you will see "Post new Forum Topic"....

p

AllenWashburn

Tomotherapy

I didn't see it answered but I was reading quickly and most likely missed it.  Tomo is where they attack the cancer in slices.  They concentrate the radiation to a more localized area.  I actually recieved Tomotherapy and it completely killed the cancer.  Was stage 4a squamous cell, tonsilar.  My treatment was 7000 centigray over 7 weeks 5 days on 2 days off.  Good luck to your friend.

 

Mainestateofmind

Post-surgery recovery difficult and dread of what is to come

My husband is one-week post surgery; robotic removal of tumor from BOT; neck dissections of lymph nodes bilaterally.  His cancer was squamous cell HPV.  We're waiting on pathology report, but the surgeon said that the tumor was more involved than initially expected and that the lymph nodes were entangled in veins, nerves.  So more than likely chemo and radiation.

This has been a huge blow to us; he has already survived breast cancer and melanoma, and is being treated for CLL with Ibrutinib.

He absolutely trusts his medical team and we are at a top facility.  We will have to relocate temporarily to continue his treatment.  Another stress to add on.  

At this point, we're trying to get him swallowing enough nutrition to get him off the NG tube before D/C.  He is in a lot of pain (tongue/throat and an enormous headache) and I can't even think what radiation will be like.  The MD is very encouraging and supportive.  But the degree of recovery from just the surgery has taken more than expected.

I've been reading threads and many of them are older; I'll have to start looking for recent ones.  To tell you the truth, I'm so terrified.  This is more than overwhelming. I don't know specifics yet, but at least I have some questions to ask thanks to this site.