Depression

Dtanman said:

Hello group, scc 4a unknown

Hello group, scc 4a unknown primary, have your primary doctor do a thyroid test. As we all know the rads fry the thyroid.  

Good thought.  I had my thyroid removed in 2013.  They have been monitoring my levels and they did get quite low during treatment because most days I could no keep my medication down.  At they moment they are stable.

Duggie88 said:

Stay Positive

Beating depression is easier said then done. One tends to sit and dwell which in turn can put you deeper in the hole. I always joke my way through almost anything even with my medical team throughout my treatments it was also a way to hide the fear. I  truely believe staying positive may be a little more than 50% of the battle but thats just me. As to the insurance issue, I am a Trustee on a fairly large Health and Welfare Fund and hear appeals regularly. In all instances we look at individual circumstances and rule accordingly. My voice was part of my trademark, and I still have my precancer voice on my office phone. My treatment started exactly 7 years ago today when I went through a full neck disection and as recently as Tuesday someone asked me whose voice was on my out going message and they couldn't believ it was me. I hated my new voice but volunteered for speaking engagements to get over what I thought as a loss but also to build on my self asteem. Radiation stoled my bottom four front teeth from me but until I had a plate made I told people I played ice hockey. I know it's different for women my wife reminds me constantly men just sometimes don't care what they look like. The changes we go through creates a very unique human being alot different than the person we used to be and yet we have no control over it so I just decided to go with the flow. I'm still around 7 years later to throw my $.02 around which is alot better than the alternative in the event my surgery and treatment didn't work. One year after my surgey I complained to my doctor about my thick soliva and then asked what would have happened if I choose not to have the surgery. He responded with I wouldn't be here complaing about my soliva.

Keep your head up and stay positive. Cancer is a SOB I wake up every morning and think F... YOU cancer you tried and I won and I have the battle scars to prove it.

Enjoy the day.............I do every one of them

      Jeff

 

I hope that I am able to win with the insurance company.  I think getting my teeth back would make a big difference in how I feel.  I'd like to be able to expand what I am able to eat instead of just soft stuff.  I'm craving a salad so bad. Thanks for the encouragement!

slk2015 said:

My experience with cancer and losing teeth

I hear you on this.  I had stage 2 tongue cancer—2 glossectomies, lymph nodes removed on the right side and an abcess on my neck the size of a softball.  In 6 weeks time, I was in the hospital 4 times.  This was in 2015.  Then, in October 2016, I had my top teeth removed and it took forever to heal, I was in excruciating pain and finally found a dentist I could work with.   I had dental insurance which paid for much of the work (through my husband’s work).  In June of 2016, I had my bottom teeth out.  That went much better.  Insurance covered the extractions, but I paid for dentures.  I went out in public without teeth, possibly in part because I was never one to smile much and I’m not especially self-conscious.  After I got the bottom dentures, I still can’t master using them well.  It’s been a couple of months.  I often just wear the top ones when I go to town—people don’t seem to notice missing bottom teeth.  I didn’t get bummed out by the cancer and the loss of teeth, but learning to use the bottom dentures has been frustrating.

   

It’s a lot to take in when your world gets turned upside down.  If you had a “normal”, it vanishes and gets replaced with the “new normal” and that can be upsetting.  Your hesitation to take medication is understandable, but for a while it may be your best option.  Physically, you’ve been under heavy stress and that can cause anyone one to become depressed.  You may only need the meds short term. 

 

Today, I had my top denture in, but even with it in, my husband had difficulty understanding me because my tongue gets numb and I talk like I’m deaf—very flat.  It’s difficult over the phone sometimes.  My neck is swollen up like mumps—it just does that sometimes.  My point is not to be complaining but just stating that I know things will never be the same.  I just go with it.  Moving forward helps, looking back at what was generally makes things worse.  Like you, I am generally upbeat and take things as they come.  That served me well through this.

 

It may also be the time of the year that is causing some of your distress.  It's winter and the days are shorter, and the holidays are upon us.  These stir up lots of emotions.

 

Yes, he holidays do add stress.  Not necissarily in a bad way for me but just so much to do and the pressure to get it done on time.  I was told that having dentures would feel like you have a couple of tennis shoes stuffed in your mouth for a while....then you'll get used to them.....it should be interesting.  I hear the "new normal" phrase all the time.....its really true.  Nothing is the same, thats for sure

CivilMatt said:

I feel your pain

4626,

You have been through a lot with any one of your battle wounds being enough to kick the heck out of your psyche.  With so much at hand I would think to go after a small portion at a time and to seriously look at meds to help out. 

            “I don’t care that some H&N members can handle the mask without meds, I did not.  Matter-of-fact I consider Lorazepam one of my top 3 items to hold my hand while going through this crap.  The other 2 items where Magic Mouth Wash and Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.”

I always felt like I was pretty normal when on Lorazepam, but from what I learned, I was always two sheets to the wind (in a good way).  Drugs helped me to find the rad time as very interesting, but the mask and I are still on different planets.

If you choose not to take meds for help, then your path to nirvana may be different, but the goal is to get you back to a happy new normal.

Your smile looks sweet.

Matt

I'll be talking to my primary care doctor about this stuff next month.  I am going to try a low does anti depressant for a while and see if that helps.