just diagnosed with salivary gland cancer

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  • Tanager75
    Tanager75 Member Posts: 89 Member
    #22
    Welcome
    SCC left tonsil, 2 lymph nodes, chemo and radiation. I just got done with about my 20th bottle of water today. I miss having spit available. I hope what you get for treatment will spare you some of the side effects people have told you about. Stay positive and good luck on the finals. I liked essays better then multiple guess.

    Peace,

    mark
  • LLeslie
    LLeslie Member Posts: 2
    #23
    MorganS said:

    thank you, i think i'm
    thank you, i think i'm finally getting it through my head that everything will be ok after all, that there is life after cancer

    i just got back from Seattle for my consultation with the radiation team that'll be working with me at the Univ. of Wash. Medical Center. I had my mask and mouth stint made. I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but it's really hard for me to swallow with the stint in, and i'm afraid i'll be unable to swallow and choke or something because i can't take the stint out while i'm bolted to the table. does it get better with time or should i have it reshaped? I also had another PET scan done, and the nurse missed my vein the first time so my arm is really sore.
    The good news is i'll only need to go through 16 treatment (4 weeks) of radiation because i'm doing neutron therapy instead of electron.
    now i just have to study for my three finals i have on tues and wed.. but it's really hard to concentrate with all of this other stuff going on in my life.
    oh, and i found out that i have to get my wisdom teeth pulled and two cavities filled before going through radiation, so i'm going in for that on friday. i'm really not looking forward to it but at least it'll be over with.

    acincic cell carcinoma
    Hi Morgan,
    I felt horrible to hear of your diagnosis especially at such a young age. I was diagnosed with a parotid tumor in 2009. I am 46 and was 45 at the time of my diagnosis. I had to wait a few months before my surgery because I was diagnosed hyperthyroid in January of 2009.My thyroid needed to be regulated before I would be cleared for surgery. My biopsy was benign so it was a shock to get my final pathology that said there was a slight malignancy. My surgeon said he would have taken more tissue if he knew he was dealing with cancer. It was a 9mm tumor. He sent me to an oncologist, a radiologist and a head and neck cancer specialist at Emory in Atlanta. They all said my margins were clear so there was no need for more surgery or radiation. A head and chest CT was done following my diagnosis and it was clear as well. The head and neck doc saw me every 6 weeks at first and now every eight weeks. I am nine months clear, but am still worried that this will come back to haunt me. Please let me know how you are doing with your radiation. I would love to hear any information in case I will be following that path in the future. Nutrition and exercise are my hobbies and I have always had excellent health up until the thyroid problems (it is Graves) and cancer diagnosis in 2009. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful husband, two daughters (age 14 & age 12) and a huge network of supportive friends and family!
  • Jessica3503
    Jessica3503 Member Posts: 2
    #24
    I have been diagnosed with
    I have been diagnosed with acinic cell carcenomia as well- age 26. I assume you are done with radiation? Not sure if you will get this, but if you do please let me know how it went! I start next week!
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #25
    MorganS said:

    thank you. i am still taking
    thank you. i am still taking classes, i've missed a lot of class because of the surgery but i really want to finish out the quarter so i don't have to retake anything. The good thing is i have a disabled students advisor that's helping me through everything (like being able to park on campus instead of biking 15 minutes and getting extensions on my papers etc).
    i wish i could be more active, i used to do 100 jumping jacks every day but now i just do stretches, i've been weak since surgery..
    thanks again, Pam

    Morgan, please let us know
    Morgan, please let us know how you are doing now. It has been quite a while and I'm hoping your done with treatments and are on your way to recovery.
    God Bless you friend,
    debbie
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #26
    Jessica3503 said:

    I have been diagnosed with
    I have been diagnosed with acinic cell carcenomia as well- age 26. I assume you are done with radiation? Not sure if you will get this, but if you do please let me know how it went! I start next week!

    Jessica, welcome to CSN.
    Jessica, welcome to CSN. I'm very sorry to hear of your cancer, especially at such a young age. I'm not familiar with that type as I had cancer of the voice box. I am now 8 months post trmnt and starting to get back to normal (my new normal) finally.
    I will put you in my prayers. Keep coming here as you will find people here who have been where you are, have already had treatments and are now in the recovery stage. People here are very friendly, truly care, and are a wealth of info. You will find great support and encouragement here also. Please stay positive, well, as positive as you can be, it is very important. When you have a rough day and need to vent of just talk to someone who TRULY KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE FEELING AND GOING THRU, come here and you will find that someone. I wish you all the best. Please let us know how you are doing.
    God Bless you,
    debbie
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #27
    Jessica3503 said:

    I have been diagnosed with
    I have been diagnosed with acinic cell carcenomia as well- age 26. I assume you are done with radiation? Not sure if you will get this, but if you do please let me know how it went! I start next week!

    Welcome, Jessica
    Jessica,

    I, too, am sorry you have a reason to be here, and glad you found the site. I have no experience with/knowledge of acinic cell carcinoma, but am hopeful someone with knowledge will see your post and step up.

    If you have any questions about your treatment, please feel free to post them. Lots of helpful people here can provide you with lots of great info and tips.

    Do well,

    Pam
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #28
    Jessica3503 said:

    I have been diagnosed with
    I have been diagnosed with acinic cell carcenomia as well- age 26. I assume you are done with radiation? Not sure if you will get this, but if you do please let me know how it went! I start next week!

    jessica, I didn't want to
    jessica, I didn't want to ask b/c I didn't want to look stupid but I have to. What is acinic cell carcenomia cancer? I hope you will forgive my ignorance.
    God Bless You,
    debbie
  • Jil
    Jil Member Posts: 5
    #29
    Jessica3503 said:

    I have been diagnosed with
    I have been diagnosed with acinic cell carcenomia as well- age 26. I assume you are done with radiation? Not sure if you will get this, but if you do please let me know how it went! I start next week!

    My radiation wasn't so bad, really.
    So sorry and no doubt like everyone here, I know the fear and the shock of it all. I cried every day for months - the whole family got used to it, often cried with me, and learned beautifully how to just let whatever needed to come out that day express itself and we'd move on.... Initially I felt so much shock, I felt as if all of a sudden I had been robbed of my good health and terrified of the future. But somehow getting started on treatment helped, I thought of it as getting on board the train to wellness.

    Doing what needed to be done and taking the very best care I could of myself, letting others help, and NOT thinking about the future was all of great benefit. Mine was staged T4. It has only been 7 months since my journey with this cancer began - I had a nine hour surgery & 30 radiation treatments. For me, a relatively healthy and quite active 54 year old, it really wasn't as bad as my fears. I wasn't too bothered by the side effects until the last two weeks of treatment; lost a good size patch of hair behind my ear (the rest covered it up) sores in mouth, lack of taste buds, nausea, fatigue, . I did not have much of an issue with dryness even though the salivary gland was removed - maybe a little drier than usual during radiation, but now 7 months later, no problem at all.
    I made a lot of effort to get exercise, get out in nature, eat well, take supplements and find some fun each day whether from my kids, my husband, a movie, a dance - whatever! Be strong, keep moving, walk tall, and look for a little joy in each day. All the best to you! jil
  • Tarzan1945
    Tarzan1945 Member Posts: 1
    #30
    MorganS said:

    thank you, i think i'm
    thank you, i think i'm finally getting it through my head that everything will be ok after all, that there is life after cancer

    i just got back from Seattle for my consultation with the radiation team that'll be working with me at the Univ. of Wash. Medical Center. I had my mask and mouth stint made. I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but it's really hard for me to swallow with the stint in, and i'm afraid i'll be unable to swallow and choke or something because i can't take the stint out while i'm bolted to the table. does it get better with time or should i have it reshaped? I also had another PET scan done, and the nurse missed my vein the first time so my arm is really sore.
    The good news is i'll only need to go through 16 treatment (4 weeks) of radiation because i'm doing neutron therapy instead of electron.
    now i just have to study for my three finals i have on tues and wed.. but it's really hard to concentrate with all of this other stuff going on in my life.
    oh, and i found out that i have to get my wisdom teeth pulled and two cavities filled before going through radiation, so i'm going in for that on friday. i'm really not looking forward to it but at least it'll be over with.

    Be strong

    Hi Mogan

    My sister-in-law just was diagnosed with the same cancer. She is getting radiations now, and I think she has to have 27 sessions of it. I don't know what stage you have been diognosed at, but my siste-in0law is at stage one, which she has great chance to get well. Anyway, I want to tell you that one way or another we all get taken surprise by the games of life. The good thing is that you have a young body and young mind; and believe it or not that will come to your aid. Now, you're in a situation that you need to foght, and you need to fight fiercefully! Do your best to not let this thing distrupt your life much. I am not telling you all this to console you. It is just to your advantage to live your life, finish school and do the good things in life. You don't know me and I don't know you; but I love you as I love my own daughter who is around your age. Be strong and happy!

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