ENB diagnosis this week

Bsauls94518

donfoo said:

welcome

Glad you found us here. Best place to get the real story from cancer survivors. Given your attitude and diagnosis, you will march right through treatment and recovery. But nobody gets a free trip; you are sure to get roughed up a bit. About a year out of treatment, I switched plans and went to Kaiser in WC for ahwile before going back to a PPO and hooking back up with my original team. Kaiser will take care of you just fine. If you have time try to select one of the doctors whom you connect with.

If you have other questions about cancer care in the East Bay, send me a private message. Meeting for coffee is nice; quite a trill to meet face to face.

Don

Thanks Don

Wow you are right next door, I'm on the W.C/Concord border!  Met with the surgeon, of course he is in Oakland but it's better than going across the Bay.  I do like my doctor, he has a lot of ties back east to University of Pittsburgh and did a rotation at the Mayo Clinic.  Surgery is on the 16th so it's hurry up and wait time.  Just have to stay positive and eat healthy.  I have been changing my diet to more resemble what they recommend in the Anti Cancer- A New Way of Life and getting some exercise in to get in better shape.  

Bsauls94518

Surgery is set

Ok we have a date and time for the surgery, October 16t at 5:30am!  Not so happy about the early start but hey less time to fast.  Now everything is getting real with the time set.  I'm not very nervous about the surgery, I feel I have a great team in place and they will do their best.  I suppose I am really wondering how will my body react to the treatment and what will recovery be like. I really hate not being in control and not having all the answers.  I suppose I need to focus on what I can control, my attitude, maintaining my health and keeping a positive outlook going forward.  Thanks to eveyone on these message boards as you have provided me with a great source of knowledge, support and comfort!  I don't feel alone since meeting you guys here.  

Barbaraek

Bsauls94518 said:

Surgery is set

Ok we have a date and time for the surgery, October 16t at 5:30am!  Not so happy about the early start but hey less time to fast.  Now everything is getting real with the time set.  I'm not very nervous about the surgery, I feel I have a great team in place and they will do their best.  I suppose I am really wondering how will my body react to the treatment and what will recovery be like. I really hate not being in control and not having all the answers.  I suppose I need to focus on what I can control, my attitude, maintaining my health and keeping a positive outlook going forward.  Thanks to eveyone on these message boards as you have provided me with a great source of knowledge, support and comfort!  I don't feel alone since meeting you guys here.  

You have it exactly right..

Focus on what you CAN control and you'll feel better! Focusing on what you can't control is just wasted energy and you will need that energy to defeat that evil disease. I'll put in a prayer for you on Friday...my husband will be getting his first post tx. PET scan that day, so it will be a prayerful day for sure! As for what follows after surgery, what will come will come, and you will rise up to meet the challenge with your H&N family cheering you on.

Barbara

Bsauls94518

Barbaraek said:

You have it exactly right..

Focus on what you CAN control and you'll feel better! Focusing on what you can't control is just wasted energy and you will need that energy to defeat that evil disease. I'll put in a prayer for you on Friday...my husband will be getting his first post tx. PET scan that day, so it will be a prayerful day for sure! As for what follows after surgery, what will come will come, and you will rise up to meet the challenge with your H&N family cheering you on.

Barbara

Thanks Barbara

I'll be thinking good thoughts for you guys too!  Here is to a clear scan and many more to come

wmc

Bsauls94518 said:

Surgery is set

Ok we have a date and time for the surgery, October 16t at 5:30am!  Not so happy about the early start but hey less time to fast.  Now everything is getting real with the time set.  I'm not very nervous about the surgery, I feel I have a great team in place and they will do their best.  I suppose I am really wondering how will my body react to the treatment and what will recovery be like. I really hate not being in control and not having all the answers.  I suppose I need to focus on what I can control, my attitude, maintaining my health and keeping a positive outlook going forward.  Thanks to eveyone on these message boards as you have provided me with a great source of knowledge, support and comfort!  I don't feel alone since meeting you guys here.  

Be thankful it is early........

I had to be there at 5:30 am but they started about 6:30 as they have to get you ready. You won't sleep much the night before but that is ok as you will sleep through the procedure is how I looked at it. My surgery they said was textbook and was 8 hours but could have gone 15 hours. Some of the doctors come and go as they just do there part but my docter is the head surgen and doctor and he never left the entire 8 hours. He had me cc on all surgery notes and reports so I know everything that was done including scaple size and what sutures were used and staples. I still get the report he sends to the other doctors. He knows I did my research and needed to be involved in all dissions of my treatment. I alwasy took his advice even when I was told I would not need radiation. If he had said to do it I would never question him, but he said I won't need it. When I woke up I wrote the nurse, am I in ICU? She said no I was in my room. I knew it all went well as with mine most everyone goes to ICU for a few days. Let your wife know it will be a long one and they do tack some time in telling the wife you are in your room. It will be much harder on her than you, she will be awake and worring while you sleep through it. You both will do just fine. You know you are not alone and in our thoughts and prayers. ps; mine get answered....

Bill

Kengele75

Looks like I have joined the club

diagnosed with ENB about a month ago and my journey is just begining. Will be getting trated at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I have just got my diagnostics completed and will be having surgery in 2 weeks to remove my tumor. So far it looks like it is a early detection and will get ressected then radition for 6 weeks. Scary stuff but it has given me strength finding this network and reading all the stories. It's nice knowing though rare there are others out there.

CivilMatt

Kengele75 said:

Looks like I have joined the club

diagnosed with ENB about a month ago and my journey is just begining. Will be getting trated at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I have just got my diagnostics completed and will be having surgery in 2 weeks to remove my tumor. So far it looks like it is a early detection and will get ressected then radition for 6 weeks. Scary stuff but it has given me strength finding this network and reading all the stories. It's nice knowing though rare there are others out there.

welcome

Kengele75,

Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you are here, but it sounds like you are on your way.

Handy for you finding us early, you probably have many questions and we have many answers.

You may want to visit the Superthread to help you bone up on things.

You may also want to start a new thread and give yourself the best opportunity for maximum exposure and response from H&N members, these older threads are given less attention.

Matt

slk2015

Cancer diagnosis

BSauls94518:  I am very, very independent also and tend to roll with whatever comes.  When the doctor told me I had tongue cancer, my first question was "Well, what do we do about it".  When I had my first partial glossectomy, my 13 year old dog died while I was in the hospital.  At that point, I did not know the tumor was cancerous.  Four days later I found out.  My husband and I talked to the doctor, made an appointment at a cancer hospital for further evalution.  My second partial glossectomy and partial neck dissection occured the day before our 31st wedding anniversary.  Someone asked my husband why he would let me have surgery right before our anniversary and he told them he just wanted me to be well.  (Yes, he's a definate keeper.)  When I developed an abcess, I had to tell him to stop trying to go to work, then come to see me and to just go home--the hospital was getting paid to take care of me and I can be loud and demanding when necessary!  He got soooo tired he could barely function.  

In our case, my attitude very muchly affected his.  As long as I was upbeat, he was.  When I'd get frustrated, he'd try to help.  He knew if I was angry or in pain there was only so much he could do, but he would always try to help.  His not taking my outbursts personally really helped.

Part of our dealing well with this may have been that in 2008, his brother had back of the tongue cancer and nearly died.  He knew his brother recovered and what he went through.  We went to the same hospital as his brother had.  Much of what happened was already familiar to us.

Kari2007

Kengele75 said:

Looks like I have joined the club

diagnosed with ENB about a month ago and my journey is just begining. Will be getting trated at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I have just got my diagnostics completed and will be having surgery in 2 weeks to remove my tumor. So far it looks like it is a early detection and will get ressected then radition for 6 weeks. Scary stuff but it has given me strength finding this network and reading all the stories. It's nice knowing though rare there are others out there.

Virginia Mason

Welcome to the club, kengele75. It's a crappy place to be, but the people here are great. I'm also in the Seattle area and am getting my treatment at Virginia Mason (although I have a different diagnosis). You're in really good hands. I'll be thinking of you when I go in for my daily radiation!

Kari

Barbaraek

Kengele75

I missed the original welcome wagon party, but want you to know I'm glad you found the folks here on this board. They have been invaluable to me as a caregiver and gave me lots of helpful info as my husband went down that scary cancer journey. I'll put you on the prayer list that I have for all the "family" here on the Head & Neck forum.

Barbara

Bsauls94518

Kengele75 said:

Looks like I have joined the club

diagnosed with ENB about a month ago and my journey is just begining. Will be getting trated at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I have just got my diagnostics completed and will be having surgery in 2 weeks to remove my tumor. So far it looks like it is a early detection and will get ressected then radition for 6 weeks. Scary stuff but it has given me strength finding this network and reading all the stories. It's nice knowing though rare there are others out there.

Welcome to the Club

I know no one really wants to be in this club but hey the members are great and the support is the best out there!  It is a scary journey, I just surrounded myself with a great tribe of individuals that provided inspiration, information and support.  I never dwelled on the downside or the odds as each person is different.  If you are an odds kind of guy remember this, all of the studies and odds are from several years ago and treatment methods are changing daily for the better. Advances are coming in leaps and bounds so even though some data could be alarming, positive gains are being made all of the time and you can add yourself to the success column by kicking this thing to the curb! 

Drivingdaisy

Welcome

To all the new members, welcome to this wonderful family.  I came to this forum late in my treatment but they have been outstanding in the knowledge, support, and a feeling of not being alone in this fight.  They also have great helpful hints to help you through the really crappy side effects.  Support is just a post away.  Good luck to all, hugs, Lisa