Things Move On
I saw my ENT from Hershey last week for my 3-month follow-up and scoping that has been going on since my release from the hospital in late 2019. Thankfully all is clear. And my ENT agreed to extend my next visit to 6 months out instead of 3 months. Nice relief to get the all-clear on a visual. I have also taken my ENT's advice and will be seeing an ENT Vocal Cord Specialist to see if there is anything that can be done to get my left paralyzed vocal cord working again. At this point, it creates a breathing problem if I do a strenuous activity so I have to watch it and do it a bit at a time. Hoping something can be done because if the working vocal cord has a problem and loses function I would be going back to a trach again.
Now the second part comes with a little scanxiety on my part, I am now scheduled to get my yearly CT scans with dye/contrast of H&N area and chest next week since any migration of our H&N cancers end up going to the lungs they recommend getting a chest scan along with your head and neck area every year. If your doctor is not doing this ask them about it. So the scanxiety comes in till you get the hopefully all clear results although I do not get over-anxious anymore after going through this so often.
And the next thing coming up is my eye situation. I had to take 30 HBOT dives to have a tooth extracted as a precaution. It can affect your vision which it did mine to a radical extent. I had double vision for almost 2 weeks but it finally cleared. probably 2019-20 somewhere in there. I know it was pre-covid. Although my vision returned to normal it greatly accelerated my cataracts so in April my appointment with the eye doc is coming up and I will be getting both eyes taken care of for cataracts. I have been putting this off it needs done.
So it is a situation of side effects from treatment and aging, after all, I am more than a half-century old.
So that is my situation, things do move on and I will be hoping and praying for the scans to be clear and my eye situation to go smoothly. I had a NED visual now looking for NED scans report.
So I will be busy with some medical stuff here, but not too much and remain thankful for the advanced medical care and wonderful providers I am blessed to be surrounded by.
Taking one situation at a time and one day at a time and being thankful for all.
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life to the fullest.
Wishing You All The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ
Comments
-
Congrats on another all clear. I had my scope done yesterday and everything looked good. My surgeon actually told me he uses me as an example of how good things can go even though I'm not 100% of what I was pre surgery and chemo/rad. I also had a dental appointment today and my teeth look good and they are surprised how much saliva I have regained even since my last appt in November. I'd say I'm almost 70% now....thicker/stickier/stringier than previous but better than they expected.
I also have scans scheduled as I have a nodule on my lung they have been monitoring. They keep telling me it's likely nothing but because they found it during my initial scans they need to keep an eye on it. I totally understand your phrase SCANXIETY !
Anyways, I love hearing every single all clear so thanks for keeping us informed!
0 -
Thank you Remington I appreciate it. Sounds like you are doing well and slowly improving on all fronts. Your surgeon must feel you had a really great outcome to use you as an example that way, has to make you feel good. And you are doing great tooth maintenance apparently. As far as nodules on the lungs and elsewhere that is, I'm finding fairly common and many times they just don't do anything. I myself have been told I have one on my lung and one on my liver or one of my organs. Anyway, the same thing they will monitor and see if they grow or change shape I guess. My sister had one on her lung for years and they watched it till it started growing a couple of monitor cycles in a row and then she had radiation with the cyberknife to eradicate it.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ
0 -
Russ,
Congrats on the great news! As for the cataracts, I had the same series of developments. Completed HBO and had blurred vision. That didn't go away--was legally blind-- and they eventually found that both cataracts needed to be replaced. They attributed it to the corticosteroids I had to reduce swelling during radiation. Once again, the gift that keeps on giving. As the time comes around for that surgery they will ask if you want the new lenses adjusted for near- or far-vision. I chose near vision, so I need reading glasses, but no glasses for driving.
mike
0 -
Thank you, Mike, appreciated.
Thanks for the tip on choosing lenses. Just goes to show you can get more than cancer info on here. I think I would lean towards the lens choice you made but I will give it some thought a while now that I know about it-Thanks
Take Care-God Bless-Russ
0 -
Russ,
Great news, bud; it’s always heartening to hear “all clear”!
I wish you the best possible outcome on your upcoming scan also. I know how hard it can be, waiting for results...
MG
0 -
Good to hear, Russ.
Like your Bitter or Better part of your post. Know of a Bitter, who I can emphasize with to a degree. Local Locos treated his Base of Tongue C. Year and a half later it came back. U of Iowa Drs. said the Locos had messed-up, went thru a 14-hour Op. with a graft for a tongue, etc., and a 6-hour emergency Op. while recovering in Iowa City. Almost 2 years of rehab. Worked with him for several years. A nice and easy-going married man, the C took his job away (replaced) but he did find a new and good job. Next thing I hear is that his marriage had ended. Little while later that he was arrested for the rape of an underage female and was in the slammer. Knowing of his life before, and talking to him at work numerous times, it came as quite a shock. I reckon the Bitter fits him, and hopefully he is a worst-case for H&N C Patients.
0 -
Its always good to have your visits extended further for good behavior. I agree that scans should include a chest due to the fact my spread to my lungs and it was found by mistake while having a scan for a hernia. Luckily it was at the bottom of my right lung and was seen on the scan. I now have yearly scan for my lung and the scanxiety is real. I see you went to Hershey which isn't all that far from me. I live in Bernville which is just north of Reading.
Fingers crossed for your clear scan
Jeff
0 -
HI Russ...we know just how you feel...my husband will have his check-up scans done next week. There is a lung "node" which they've had an eye on from the start. Husband is always calm and cool, but (although it is pointless and crazy), I still get revved up. Happily, his tongue and teeth are looking good. I'm hoping all you great guys keep getting good news.
0 -
Jeff thanks for your input and well wishes. I am glad they found your lung cancer in time and are now doing regular scans. I think I was told that I should have a chest scan once a year for the rest of my life due to the H&N cancer. Bernville is a familiar name to me and I think it was because when I was working we got forklift parts, might have been Lift Inc. or one of the other ones. Thanks again Jeff and clear scans ahead to you also and lees scanxiety.
Wishing you the best-Take care-God Bless-Russ
0 -
Thanks, ProustLover for your response. Your husband and I are due about the same time then. Springtime must be scan time. I like the way your husband handles it. I too have a small node and I figger if it just sits there and doesn't grow or change shape or something then they will just keep with the wait, see approach. I am glad everything is going well for you folks. So I say forward and clear scans ahead.
Take care-God Bless-Russ
0 -
Russ, good to hear about the NED visual, and hoping you get an all clear on the scan.
As to the eye issues, oh boy can I relate. I had cataract surgery in May last year in my right eye only. The surgery went well, but my eye had terrible inflammation that caused the pressure to increase. I've been fighting that ever since. I had about a 2 week long period in early December where I enjoyed 20/20 vision, but it went downhill from there. I had a trabeculectomy procedure done last month and a few subsequent injection in my eye to try to get the pressure lowered. So far it hasn't worked, but I go see my doc today and will find out where I stand and wether I'll require another surgery or not. Right now I'm practically blind in my right eye and not sure if any of that vision will be restored. Thank God I still have good vision (with a corrective lens) in my left eye.
I will try to check in more often. Best wishes to you!
0 -
ERoman0 glad to see you again and thanks for the congrats and well wishes.
I can understand why you have been away for a bit, we all need a break but it looks like you have had your own issues to deal with. Cataract surgery is considered a basic operation anymore but your case shows there is always the possibility of complications. I am so sorry you are going through this and hope they can still get this eye pressure under control and bring your vision back once the pressure is down. Pressure stabilization in itself would make all the difference most likely. Don't give up pray on it and I will add you to my prayer list. I also have dealt with increased eye pressure for many years but not from any procedure but I just ended up having it. I am Blessed that a drop of solution in each eye once a day keeps it stable. Also sorry you had to come back and get hit with the news about Crystal, it is hitting us all hard. I am thankful along with you that your left eye is still good a Blessing for sure but will continue to pray and hold out hope for the right eye.
ER Wishing You The Best
Take Care-God Bless-Russ
0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.7K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 446 Bladder Cancer
- 309 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 396 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.3K Kidney Cancer
- 670 Leukemia
- 792 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 237 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 59 Pancreatic Cancer
- 486 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.4K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 537 Sarcoma
- 727 Skin Cancer
- 652 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards