Been a while

jtl
jtl Member Posts: 456
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Been a while since I visited the site. Nice to see some of the old timers are still around but not so good to see so many new people. Looks like a lot of NED which is always encouraging. I recently had my one year eyes to thighs PET/CT which showed nothing unusual. No hotspots or abnormalities. Do most of you get the combination PET/CT? My tech was telling me that she didn't think they even sold the PET only machines anymore.

I don't know if this is related to scchn but I was diagnosed with shingles, something I never thought about. Now I wish I had gotten the shot for it. It is painful and lasts for weeks, I think I am on week 3 or 4 and I have taken more pain meds for this than I ever did during my scchn treatment. This is clearly a situation where my immune system was compromised, not unlike being HPV+ or possibly getting scc. I think it is finally getting a little better.

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Congrats
    Congrats on the PET....

    My facility just got a new machine last year for the PET, it's like two machines stuck together, and the time was cut nearly inhalf also.

    Best,
    John
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #3
    Shingles
    The scans I get are PET/CT combo. I got the shingles at the beginning of Jan of this year..my rads were comp Dec 31. I had taken a shower one morning and while drying off noticed red blotches on my left side right under my arm pit...I was going to a internist appt that same day ..when she saw it it seems like the redness had multiplied ten times..and now went from the arm are to tthe middle of my back on the left side, she said yep shingles..from my imune system being comprimised, according to her it's common,I agree very painful, and I took more pain meds for them than anything else thru treatments..when the pain went away they seem to get dry and itch..was certain articles of clothing set the itching off..even at times the bed sheet touching mt skin..all I can say is thank goodness they are gone..and I hope never to get them again.

    Linda
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #4
    Skiffin16 said:

    Congrats
    Congrats on the PET....

    My facility just got a new machine last year for the PET, it's like two machines stuck together, and the time was cut nearly inhalf also.

    Best,
    John

    That is what it is, mine was
    That is what it is, mine was the CT on the front and the PET on the back with a little space between them. From what I was told the comparative analysis of the two scans is much more accurate then doing them individually. I guess it has to do with positioning and things like that. I was pleased to read that you did well on your 3rd year scan.

    John
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #5
    osmotar said:

    Shingles
    The scans I get are PET/CT combo. I got the shingles at the beginning of Jan of this year..my rads were comp Dec 31. I had taken a shower one morning and while drying off noticed red blotches on my left side right under my arm pit...I was going to a internist appt that same day ..when she saw it it seems like the redness had multiplied ten times..and now went from the arm are to tthe middle of my back on the left side, she said yep shingles..from my imune system being comprimised, according to her it's common,I agree very painful, and I took more pain meds for them than anything else thru treatments..when the pain went away they seem to get dry and itch..was certain articles of clothing set the itching off..even at times the bed sheet touching mt skin..all I can say is thank goodness they are gone..and I hope never to get them again.

    Linda

    Shingle are horrible. Mine
    Shingle are horrible. Mine was on the back of my neck and head so no clothing bothered it. I did get nasty headaches from the nerves.
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    I saw shingles shots given at Walgreens the other day...
    and gave it little thought. After reading what's happened to both of you, I'm getting the shot....I absolutely do not want them popping up.

    p
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #7
    phrannie51 said:

    I saw shingles shots given at Walgreens the other day...
    and gave it little thought. After reading what's happened to both of you, I'm getting the shot....I absolutely do not want them popping up.

    p

    Shot
    My internist said I should get the shot even though I already had them..apparently if you had chicken pox the shingles virus is in your system...just can't predict that yow will ever get them. My internist totally believes mine were a result of the c and subsequent treatments chemo & rads.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #8
    Shingles..
    Seems to be a lot of press on them lately...are they on the rise or something?

    I mean chicken pox and shingles have been around forever.

    JG
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #9
    Skiffin16 said:

    Shingles..
    Seems to be a lot of press on them lately...are they on the rise or something?

    I mean chicken pox and shingles have been around forever.

    JG

    If you have had chicken pox
    If you have had chicken pox then the shot has as 80% chance of being successful. If you have not had chicken pox the shot will not do anything for you. My wife for example has never had c-pox so her doc said forget it. OBTW, maybe some insurance will cover it but most do not and it costs about $225. John, it seems to be on the rise for us old people and of course those of us with compromised immune systems.
    John
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #10
    jtl said:

    If you have had chicken pox
    If you have had chicken pox then the shot has as 80% chance of being successful. If you have not had chicken pox the shot will not do anything for you. My wife for example has never had c-pox so her doc said forget it. OBTW, maybe some insurance will cover it but most do not and it costs about $225. John, it seems to be on the rise for us old people and of course those of us with compromised immune systems.
    John

    Questions..
    I guess something to ask my ENT or Chemo MD about next visit.

    I'm not so sure how much my immune system is still compromise, but I did have chicken pox as a child.

    In all honesty, I think I've only been sick once since going through treatment.

    JG
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #11
    shingles, what next
    Hi John,

    Nice of you to visit, and even better your clean scan (NED).

    Now you make me wonder about Shingles, I am scheduled to see my GP on Tuesday and I think I’ll ask.

    Best,

    Matt
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #12
    CivilMatt said:

    shingles, what next
    Hi John,

    Nice of you to visit, and even better your clean scan (NED).

    Now you make me wonder about Shingles, I am scheduled to see my GP on Tuesday and I think I’ll ask.

    Best,

    Matt

    John...
    Wonderful news on the scan...very happy for you.

    Glad to see you stopped by and posted ..hope you drop in a bit more, always find your posts encouraging and informative....

    Best,

    Tim
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #13
    Tim6003 said:

    John...
    Wonderful news on the scan...very happy for you.

    Glad to see you stopped by and posted ..hope you drop in a bit more, always find your posts encouraging and informative....

    Best,

    Tim

    congrats on the scan
    I too had shingles during tx on top outside part of upper arm. Uniform little lines of raised red bumps that scabbed over. I was fortunate that it did not spread, did not cause much pain and resolved itself rather quickly.
  • VanessaSLO
    VanessaSLO Member Posts: 283
    #14
    hwt said:

    congrats on the scan
    I too had shingles during tx on top outside part of upper arm. Uniform little lines of raised red bumps that scabbed over. I was fortunate that it did not spread, did not cause much pain and resolved itself rather quickly.

    Great news!
    Congrats also from me! It's great if some long time survivers still stick around this forum or just post their NEDs each year :). It gives hope to all the others who're still in the beginning that this cancer can be defeated.
    Wish you NED in the future!!

    Vanessa

Discussion Boards