The First Day

NoDuck
NoDuck Member Posts: 134
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hubby started his teatment today for Stage III SCC tonsil cancer HPV+. I have been lurking on these boards for a few weeks since we got the diagnosis. The wisdom you each share in your posts made this experience a lot less scary. It went exactly the way many of you said it would.

Treatment plan is cisplatin 3x 21 days apart plus 35 rads over 7 weeks. Though he is HPV+ and we are encouraged by the cure rate, he also has a significant tobacco use history (tho none in the last 15 years) so he opted for the "scorched earth" treatment plan. He's 66 and otherwise healthy and a tough cowboy to boot.

Today was chemo and rads, tomorrow is peg tube in and another rad., then a rad on Friday and a much needed break. Home is over 100 miles away and the American Cancer Soceity was able to get us a really nice room at Hyatt Place for free. But it will be nice to sleep in our own bed this weekend and get ready for next round next week.

Thanks to the info we learned here, we are stocked up on salt, soda, ingredients for high calorie shakes and smooties, ordered a new Sonicare toothbrush, got fitted for fluriode trays, have a fancy new electic razor, have a supply of Xlyimelts and MuGuard. Oh, and a new VitaMix that we got with a 25% discount when the rad dr. faxed a letter on his letterhead with his diagnosis and a statement that the VitaMix would assist him in his nutrition needs.

We're ready for this fight thanks to all our new friends here.

Deb, caregiver to Dale

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    one down
    Hi Deb and Dale,

    I am new to this site with regards to participation. When in the truth I have been listening since January. I was so tired during treatment, my wife made all searches of discussions for us; I just hunkered down and covered up in my recliner, listened and slept.

    Your path sounds a lot like mine except for the travel. It sounds like you are really stocked up and ready. Don’t hesitate to tell the doctors and nurses of any new things or changes, they always had something for me too try and of course, visit here often.

    You are further along today then you were last week and the days ahead will go by quickly. I got in trouble once for shaving with a blade razor, I did not want to spend the money on an electric razor and I hated to not be clean shaven. The radiation technician looked at me and said “hey, you’ve been shaving, your not suppose to do that”. Yikes, busted.

    Good luck, try to relax and get some music for radiation treatments and an anti-anxiety pill (if needed).

    Matt
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    Yeah!! He's on the road to recovery....
    I'm so glad you lurked here before you got going on treatments...having things already in the cupboard does make it easier. I didn't lurk, but I did have things in my cupboard, and high protein food lined out before I started, too.

    So 3 x 21 days Cisplatin and 35 rads is called the scorched earth treatment plan? I going to tell my husband that (it's the same as my plan, only I have 3 x 21 more chemo's after radiation....wonder what THAT's called? Scorched earth +?? :)) Where is he being treated?

    The days tick by faster than you think they will...in the beginning it seems slow, but that's due to the newness...by the middle of week two, it becomes a "new job", and time starts moving by quickly.

    Please keep posting and let us know how he's doing, ok? :)

    p
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #4
    Hell and Back Plan
    If 3x21 Cisplatin and 35 days of rads is the "Scorched Earth Treatment Plan"...LOL. Well then myself, Linda and a few others must have had the "To Hell and Back Plan", LOL...

    With our STGIII SCC HPV+ Tonsils, we had the 3x21 also, but with Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, an the seven weeks of Carboplatin and 35 daily rads were on top of that.

    Thinking maybe this lesser version of what we had (myself in early 2009), that maybe they are taking a lesser approach with HPV derived SCCHN these days.

    Thoughts an prayers for geeat success and many future clean scans...

    Best,
    John
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #5
    Skiffin16 said:

    Hell and Back Plan
    If 3x21 Cisplatin and 35 days of rads is the "Scorched Earth Treatment Plan"...LOL. Well then myself, Linda and a few others must have had the "To Hell and Back Plan", LOL...

    With our STGIII SCC HPV+ Tonsils, we had the 3x21 also, but with Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, an the seven weeks of Carboplatin and 35 daily rads were on top of that.

    Thinking maybe this lesser version of what we had (myself in early 2009), that maybe they are taking a lesser approach with HPV derived SCCHN these days.

    Thoughts an prayers for geeat success and many future clean scans...

    Best,
    John

    Deb
    Sorry you and Dale find yourselves here, but you are most welcome to be here. And that is awesome about the Hyatt thing with the ACS.

    66 is still a very doable age, though the chemo will likely be more trying than it was for us 50-something youngsters (!). Is he getting 5-FU, via a pump, also?

    I like the Scorched Earth description, and John's of his treatment regiment is cool, too. For me- a Trainwreck. No fun, of course, but the success percentage for us H&N cases really is great, and I'm sure Dale will be another success. Keep your Drs in the Loop with how he is physically doing, so they know when help is needed- that is very much part of their jobs, Deb- to keep it acceptable to the Patient. Dale's gonna be okay, Deb-

    Believe

    kcass
  • tuffenuff
    tuffenuff Member Posts: 277
    #6
    Skiffin16 said:

    Hell and Back Plan
    If 3x21 Cisplatin and 35 days of rads is the "Scorched Earth Treatment Plan"...LOL. Well then myself, Linda and a few others must have had the "To Hell and Back Plan", LOL...

    With our STGIII SCC HPV+ Tonsils, we had the 3x21 also, but with Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, an the seven weeks of Carboplatin and 35 daily rads were on top of that.

    Thinking maybe this lesser version of what we had (myself in early 2009), that maybe they are taking a lesser approach with HPV derived SCCHN these days.

    Thoughts an prayers for geeat success and many future clean scans...

    Best,
    John

    maybe i will get lucky today
    maybe i will get lucky today and be told the "To Hell And Back" plan is no longer necessary lol...
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    tuffenuff said:

    maybe i will get lucky today
    maybe i will get lucky today and be told the "To Hell And Back" plan is no longer necessary lol...

    Tuff-But-Doable
    Maybe yours will be "Tuff-But-Doable", LOL....

    I'm sure it's like anything else, being something none (or most) of us have never endured before. It always seems much tougher than it probably is in reality.....LOL, well maybe not, it's pretty tough. It's just something we never went through, and hopefully won't again.

    BTW, like your new puppy avatar...

    JG
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #8
    Skiffin16 said:

    Hell and Back Plan
    If 3x21 Cisplatin and 35 days of rads is the "Scorched Earth Treatment Plan"...LOL. Well then myself, Linda and a few others must have had the "To Hell and Back Plan", LOL...

    With our STGIII SCC HPV+ Tonsils, we had the 3x21 also, but with Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU, an the seven weeks of Carboplatin and 35 daily rads were on top of that.

    Thinking maybe this lesser version of what we had (myself in early 2009), that maybe they are taking a lesser approach with HPV derived SCCHN these days.

    Thoughts an prayers for geeat success and many future clean scans...

    Best,
    John

    Some ride
    Yes ..I have to agree with you, for a quater more we got the upgraded plan. I don't know about the difference from 2009 to my treatment in 2011 seems we have mirrored each other quite a bit.

    Linda
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #9
    Good for you!

    Like John, when they were dishing out treatment "treats", I asked for seconds. My cancer was HPV negative,though, so I got surgery, induction chemo, PEG tube, chemo rads and more surgery. I'm with you guys - hit it with everything AND the kitchen sink.

    Hope you do well - jealous about the VitaMix - glad you got it - you'll have to tell us how wonderful it is.
  • tuffenuff
    tuffenuff Member Posts: 277
    #10
    Skiffin16 said:

    Tuff-But-Doable
    Maybe yours will be "Tuff-But-Doable", LOL....

    I'm sure it's like anything else, being something none (or most) of us have never endured before. It always seems much tougher than it probably is in reality.....LOL, well maybe not, it's pretty tough. It's just something we never went through, and hopefully won't again.

    BTW, like your new puppy avatar...

    JG

    Introducing Hamlet!!!
    Thats my pup. He has his own Facebook page lol.
  • NoDuck
    NoDuck Member Posts: 134
    #11
    Pam M said:

    Good for you!

    Like John, when they were dishing out treatment "treats", I asked for seconds. My cancer was HPV negative,though, so I got surgery, induction chemo, PEG tube, chemo rads and more surgery. I'm with you guys - hit it with everything AND the kitchen sink.

    Hope you do well - jealous about the VitaMix - glad you got it - you'll have to tell us how wonderful it is.

    Tough Start
    But hanging in there. Feeding tube install ended up being all day instead of a couple of hours as anticipated. The surgeon decided that instead of fishing the tube down his throat, he wanted to install thru stomach wall which required general anesthetic. His reasoning was less chance to dislodge cancer cells and embed them in his stomach. Made sense but sure made for a rough day and night. Had to skip 2nd day rad. Headed there now for another treatment then headed home.

    We nicknamed Dale's treatment "Scorched Earth" because of the 3 options given it was the most aggressive. We have no regrets on the decision. Treatment is at Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Being an Oklahoma State University alum, it's hard to say it but since we are putting his life in their hands ---

    BOOMER SOONER!!!!

    Deb
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #12
    tuffenuff said:

    Introducing Hamlet!!!
    Thats my pup. He has his own Facebook page lol.

    Hamlet
    Couldn't find him to add....

    JG
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #13
    NoDuck said:

    Tough Start
    But hanging in there. Feeding tube install ended up being all day instead of a couple of hours as anticipated. The surgeon decided that instead of fishing the tube down his throat, he wanted to install thru stomach wall which required general anesthetic. His reasoning was less chance to dislodge cancer cells and embed them in his stomach. Made sense but sure made for a rough day and night. Had to skip 2nd day rad. Headed there now for another treatment then headed home.

    We nicknamed Dale's treatment "Scorched Earth" because of the 3 options given it was the most aggressive. We have no regrets on the decision. Treatment is at Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Being an Oklahoma State University alum, it's hard to say it but since we are putting his life in their hands ---

    BOOMER SOONER!!!!

    Deb

    Deb ...no duck..
    I had my tube through stomach wall ...I bet you will find atfter the pain goes away he will like it better there!

    Tim

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