Surgeries down, radiation starting...

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  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #22
    the funny thing is
    Nobody else notices. Seriously. I had my radical neck 13 years ago. Beyond the immediate healing phase, people really didn't notice it, and I eventually lost my self-consciousness, and stopped trying to cover it up. Now I've had the much more agressive operation, open jaw radical mouth floor resection and reconstruction. It healed incredibly. Surgery was less than a year ago and it knit so well people still don't notice. Part of it is people just aren't that observant, I know, but even so.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #23
    Husker Fan said:

    One down, 29 to go...
    Well I had my first radiation treatment today. Everything went good, the mask was tighter then when I had it on when they made it. The radiation tech said that as they cool, they do shrink. Kinda freaked me out as they put it on, but thinking of all the support from my family and CSN friends got me relaxed.

    Here we go.... !!!

    Thanks everyone,

    David

    Hi David
    And the race begins, like John said eat everything you can now as in the next few weeks taste will become null and void in the mouth. I too had a problem with the mask the first time because it had small breathing holds in it and it was too tight. But after a few weeks it was fitting very loosely to the point they wanted to make another mask, what a weight loss program.

    Keep your focus on the finish line and before you know it you will be crossing over it.

    Wishing you the very best
    Hondo
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #24
    Husker Fan said:

    One down, 29 to go...
    Well I had my first radiation treatment today. Everything went good, the mask was tighter then when I had it on when they made it. The radiation tech said that as they cool, they do shrink. Kinda freaked me out as they put it on, but thinking of all the support from my family and CSN friends got me relaxed.

    Here we go.... !!!

    Thanks everyone,

    David

    David
    Well, you are closer to the end at this point. We counted down the days also. Buzz had a radical neck operation 10 years ago and the scar looks just like a crease. Karen
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #25
    longtermsurvivor said:

    the funny thing is
    Nobody else notices. Seriously. I had my radical neck 13 years ago. Beyond the immediate healing phase, people really didn't notice it, and I eventually lost my self-consciousness, and stopped trying to cover it up. Now I've had the much more agressive operation, open jaw radical mouth floor resection and reconstruction. It healed incredibly. Surgery was less than a year ago and it knit so well people still don't notice. Part of it is people just aren't that observant, I know, but even so.

    Hi longtermsurvivor

    That is good news and you must have had some really good doctors. In my case I lost so much weight that when people see me they say man what happened to you. Then the face is sunk in to the skin just over the bone, but all in all it does not bother me anymore even when I see people looking when they thing I don’t see them. I just go one with life.

    Hondo
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #26
    Hondo said:

    Hi longtermsurvivor

    That is good news and you must have had some really good doctors. In my case I lost so much weight that when people see me they say man what happened to you. Then the face is sunk in to the skin just over the bone, but all in all it does not bother me anymore even when I see people looking when they thing I don’t see them. I just go one with life.

    Hondo

    LOL
    Right now I'm changing pretty quickly due to my third malignancy and chemotherapy. Hair going fast. Face is a wreck. I leak liquids out my nose when I drink, so restaurants are kinda out. I just make whatever adjustments the situation requires and go on. Went hunting yesterday morning. That was fun, and my hunting buddy is a great guy. None of my stuff bothers him and he works around my incipient disability. And my wife has been very good about this as well.

    I'm also trying to do things when I feel good. The first course of cartoplatin/taxotere made me sick enough I wasn't worth much for about a week, so I guess I've learned what the next couple of months will be like.

    You know, if you are self-conscious about this stuff, I think you tip people off. Really, my scars almost never get noticed.

    I have a great ENT Oncologist. I have to travel a long way to see him, but that's just partof the price I pay to get care I can trust. This guy did all off my surgeries. I have now had three of them. The last one was a 14 hour long marathon, and he did it all, even the grafting himself. And he's a nice guy. I just recently met the Medical Oncologist and the Radiotherapiist. I'm favorably impressed so far.

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