Wanna chat?

Hello, Eric1969, and welcome to the CSN H&N discussion forum.

Well, Eric, sometimes there is no specific reason someone gets H&N cancer or any other cancer for that matter.

In years past there were many on here who never smoked or drank but still got H&N cancer no one knows the reason. I think cancer can just start with a bad cell division in the body, here is a video that explains it…

Cancer, How Cancer Starts, How Cancer Spreads, Where and Why, Animation.

In recent years very few people smoke anymore but there is a large uptick in H&N cancer due to the HPV virus. There is a plus and a minus diagnosis in H&N cancer. Did any of your doctors mention your case being HPV Plus or minus?

Here is a Johns Hopkins site explaining it…

HPV and Head & Neck Cancer FAQs

You went through some heavy-duty treatment like the rest of us but the main thing is you made it through. I have not had to deal with an obturator but there were several people in our local cancer support group at the campus and folks on this forum that had them. I am aware it is something else to maintain and I believe you need a good-fitting obturator that is comfortable and does what it should.

Here is a search of this discussion board of past and present discussions of obturators, you can possibly find some good information there by looking through the discussion threads.

Please note there are 10 threads on the page and at the bottom you can click on more and there are many more.

I would also recommend you check out the Superthread at the top of the page there is loads of information in there with links and you will find it helpful.

I hope this helped in some way and we can chat more if you want and feel free to make yourself at home here.

Our Motto Here Is…NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)

Wishing You The Best

Take Care, God Bless

Russ

Hello Eric. Glad you got through the tough surgery and treatments. I hope you're doing well. In 2022 I was diagnosed with H&N cancer in my right tonsil and some lymph nodes and it turned out to be HPV that caused it. I was fortunate to have several options for treatment, including a trial that cut radiation and chemo treatments in half. It was still rough though. The cisplatin put me in the hospital with very low sodium for 10 days. Now, so far so good, but I do have to have another node neat my collar bone biopsied next week. Hopefully if there's something there they can just remove it and it's not anywhere else. This has been the hardest part for me, all the following up and worrying about things that might be suspicious. I hope you don't have too much of that. Wishing you all the best and good health!

EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) is another cancer culprit! I have a very uneducated theory that COVID will be linked to an increase in HNC…I ran my entire theory by my radiation oncologist (my dr is a freakin genius! Lol), and he said he couldn’t disagree. It’ll be some time before the research & studies confirm or deny. I believe wholeheartedly that Covid will attack and cause the immune system to become focused on fighting covid that other cancer causing viruses reactivate.

Let’s talk about life. What would you like to talk about? What’s on your mind?

Hi. I too recently had surgery on my upper right mouth area for cancer. 7 of my teeth were removed, my entire gum bed cut out, the top of my mouth was partially removed and I had lymph nodes taken out on that side. I had 35 weeks of radiation and am on my second Obturator too. That is something that is definitively taking some time to get used to. I sound different, talk different so I understand your struggles with it. I’m still in speech therapy for swallowing. I lost my ability to swallow during radiation. Have you had any problems with that? Non smoker non drinker too. I wonder to why me? I just don’t think there is any rhyme or reason to the evils of cancer. It’s just horrific.

I’m always happy to talk to someone experiencing this awful battle. It’s not something I think anyone can grasp unless you’ve gone through it.

Please let me know how you are and if I can help in any way.

Take care,

Garland

I didn’t get the vaccines and I’m glad! I’ve heard so many horror stories. My own sister got her 2nd shot and was in the hospital within 3 days with organs failing. Now she is on dialysis and needs a kidney transplant. Just scary how fast that happened! The vaccine came out so fast we just don’t yet know what all the long term side effects will be. That was why I decided to not get them. You can still get Covid and spread it so really what is the point? I did get Covid and it wasn’t worse than a cold other than loss of smell and taste for 6 weeks. But Covid was by far easier than this cancer journey. It really tries to knock the life out of you!! Never give up as the dear Angel Russ always says.

Take care,

Garland