Hairballs and Boost Breath

staceya
staceya Member Posts: 720
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
This is another one of those posts that sounds like a bad song title.

Does anyone else feel like they are always trying to cough up a hairball?

What makes it better?

Also, does boost give you worse breath than ensure or is all bad?

Thanks
Stacey

PS IS anyone here on Facebook?
I am listed as Stacey Almos on FB, please friend me if you are..
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Comments

  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #2
    Couldn't Find You on FB, Stacey
    I'm Pam Mullins (Suzie Mullins)on FB. Had to laugh about the "hairballs" - I only have them occassionally, but they make me crazy.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #3
    Somebody quick come up with a second line for that song...
    Hair balls and Boost Breath...
    My teeth are gonna look like I'm on meth...

    Yikes. Sorry.
    I, too, have the occasional hair ball. It seems to help if I drink something thick. Or not. My issue is sneezing. It's hard to do when you have a terrible dry mouth. More like an explosion.

    I can't speak to the Boost/Ensure breath. I gave up both, and drink Carnation Instant Breakfast now. I just have to come up with some way to get rid of all the Boost and Ensure stacked up in my pantry. It just doesn't appeal to me now.

    Deb
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #4
    D Lewis said:

    Somebody quick come up with a second line for that song...
    Hair balls and Boost Breath...
    My teeth are gonna look like I'm on meth...

    Yikes. Sorry.
    I, too, have the occasional hair ball. It seems to help if I drink something thick. Or not. My issue is sneezing. It's hard to do when you have a terrible dry mouth. More like an explosion.

    I can't speak to the Boost/Ensure breath. I gave up both, and drink Carnation Instant Breakfast now. I just have to come up with some way to get rid of all the Boost and Ensure stacked up in my pantry. It just doesn't appeal to me now.

    Deb

    Ow - I remember the sneezing
    Luckily, it's much better now. Hope is eases up for you, soon.
  • Scambuster
    Scambuster Member Posts: 973
    #5
    CAUTION on the 'bad breath' - can be necrotic tissue
    Hi Staceya,

    I tried a PM but in case it dodn't get through though best to mention an important note on your question, but please take this as 'Be Alert - not alarmed'.

    While bad breath can be caused from trapped food in the mouth and maybe the throat due to scar tissue, one other more sinister cause is from necrotic tissue associatd with epithelial carcinomas. Cancer is basically cells growing out of control due to their DNA being changed. Normal healthy cells know how to behave and just replace old cells in a in an orderly manner within a functioning system (our body).

    In the case of cancer, these rampant cells do not have a guidance system (Changed DNA) and hence they don't get to have an orderly blood supply so parts of the tumors can end up with no blood supply and so they literally just die off. The dead cells basically rot (necrosis).

    In doing this, they do stink. This is not necessarily obvious to the owner, but others nearby will notice it. As such it is a good idea to have your closest people, spouse, family, friends - let you know if they notice bad breath as this can be a sign to go get a check. The best Doctor at this point would be to see an ENT and have them do a thorough scope to check there is no obvious growth or abnormal activity.

    In my own case, I did notice this but did not make the connection till after I was diagnosed which was luckily within a couple of weeks (SCC to the Tonsil).

    As said, I don't mean to cause any panic, but you should know if you need a checkup, and also to let your ENT /Onc doctor know.

    Regds
    Scambuster
  • Kimba1505
    Kimba1505 Member Posts: 557
    #6
    D Lewis said:

    Somebody quick come up with a second line for that song...
    Hair balls and Boost Breath...
    My teeth are gonna look like I'm on meth...

    Yikes. Sorry.
    I, too, have the occasional hair ball. It seems to help if I drink something thick. Or not. My issue is sneezing. It's hard to do when you have a terrible dry mouth. More like an explosion.

    I can't speak to the Boost/Ensure breath. I gave up both, and drink Carnation Instant Breakfast now. I just have to come up with some way to get rid of all the Boost and Ensure stacked up in my pantry. It just doesn't appeal to me now.

    Deb

    Donate
    Deb,
    Donate your Boost and Ensure. You might be able to give it to your doctors, or the hospital social worker. When Mark switched chemo drugs, we had already bought the Emend in aticipation of Cisplatin. We gave it to the nurse practicianer, who readily took it. It is an expensive med, that not everyone's insurance covers. We felt very good helping someone else.
    You could also donate it to a local food cupboard, if there is one in your area. The elderly often need to supplement thier diets with Ensure and Boost.

    Stacey,
    Love to LOL. The hairballs and boost breath. Too funny. Is it anything like Cheerio breath? Mark is eating a lot of Cheerios.

    My best to everyone. Don't know what I would do without all of you.
    Kim
  • finz2lft
    finz2lft Member Posts: 43
    #7
    Stacey Facebook
    Stacey I am LLoyd Whitfield try East Carolina University for school. find and I wiil accept your friendship request. It is easier if you have a school or hometown or town living in at the present time to narrow down the search. Finz
  • finz2lft
    finz2lft Member Posts: 43
    #8
    finz2lft said:

    Stacey Facebook
    Stacey I am LLoyd Whitfield try East Carolina University for school. find and I wiil accept your friendship request. It is easier if you have a school or hometown or town living in at the present time to narrow down the search. Finz

    Ensure
    FYI I contaced Abbott Labs, and requested an application for help with Ensure as I have no insurance and teach school, so we all know I am not rich, well, maybe in knowledge. But, I had the Social Worker at my Oncologist assit me, and she faxed the application in last Tuesday and I received 8 cases of High Protein Ensure by Fed Ex free of charge yesterday July 6,2010. They will now drop ship me Ensure when I need it. Totally awesome company, and everyone should be award of this.
  • finz2lft
    finz2lft Member Posts: 43
    #9
    finz2lft said:

    Stacey Facebook
    Stacey I am LLoyd Whitfield try East Carolina University for school. find and I wiil accept your friendship request. It is easier if you have a school or hometown or town living in at the present time to narrow down the search. Finz

    Ensure
    FYI I contaced Abbott Labs, and requested an application for help with Ensure as I have no insurance and teach school, so we all know I am not rich, well, maybe in knowledge. But, I had the Social Worker at my Oncologist assit me, and she faxed the application in last Tuesday and I received 8 cases of High Protein Ensure by Fed Ex free of charge yesterday July 6,2010. They will now drop ship me Ensure when I need it. Totally awesome company, and everyone should be award of this.
  • finz2lft
    finz2lft Member Posts: 43
    #10
    finz2lft said:

    Stacey Facebook
    Stacey I am LLoyd Whitfield try East Carolina University for school. find and I wiil accept your friendship request. It is easier if you have a school or hometown or town living in at the present time to narrow down the search. Finz

    Ensure
    FYI I contaced Abbott Labs, and requested an application for help with Ensure as I have no insurance and teach school, so we all know I am not rich, well, maybe in knowledge. But, I had the Social Worker at my Oncologist assit me, and she faxed the application in last Tuesday and I received 8 cases of High Protein Ensure by Fed Ex free of charge yesterday July 6,2010. They will now drop ship me Ensure when I need it. Totally awesome company, and everyone should be award of this.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    finz2lft said:

    Stacey Facebook
    Stacey I am LLoyd Whitfield try East Carolina University for school. find and I wiil accept your friendship request. It is easier if you have a school or hometown or town living in at the present time to narrow down the search. Finz

    Finz
    Added you on FB, I'm Shelley N John Guiseppi...couldn't find Stacey either....

    Best,
    John
  • JUDYV5
    JUDYV5 Member Posts: 392
    #12
    Funny
    That is really funny. I have noticed that my sense of smell has intensified as the sense of taste dulled. I can totally relate to the ensure breath. Can anything smell worse ?
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #13
    Skiffin16 said:

    Finz
    Added you on FB, I'm Shelley N John Guiseppi...couldn't find Stacey either....

    Best,
    John

    Stacey is missing - LOL
    I searched for Stacey also and it didn't show any people with that name but it did show a nice picture of her and 3 other women who work at a hospital. Chemo brain - can't remember the name of the hospital.
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #14
    Hair Balls
    They were originally going to do my flap from my chest wall and I talked to the surgeon about this and he said I could have laser treatments done to my "new" tongue to get rid or any hair. LOL

    There is a group on facebook called Cancer Survivor Network where many of us have our real names and our CSN names listed for easy finding. If you find someone that you want to friend make sure you put in your request your CSN name if it isn't the same as your real name so people know where you are from. There is also a group for Head and Neck Support Group and Suvivors of Head and Neck Cancer.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #15
    SASH said:

    Hair Balls
    They were originally going to do my flap from my chest wall and I talked to the surgeon about this and he said I could have laser treatments done to my "new" tongue to get rid or any hair. LOL

    There is a group on facebook called Cancer Survivor Network where many of us have our real names and our CSN names listed for easy finding. If you find someone that you want to friend make sure you put in your request your CSN name if it isn't the same as your real name so people know where you are from. There is also a group for Head and Neck Support Group and Suvivors of Head and Neck Cancer.

    Hair on the Tongue
    That's pretty funny SASH....

    I found that on FB SASH, but it only show three members...

    JG
  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #16
    Skiffin16 said:

    Hair on the Tongue
    That's pretty funny SASH....

    I found that on FB SASH, but it only show three members...

    JG

    Hairballs and...
    Stacey and Deb, you crack me up! Where are the musicians to finish the song? Mick, I mean Ned, where are you?
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #17
    Glenna M said:

    Stacey is missing - LOL
    I searched for Stacey also and it didn't show any people with that name but it did show a nice picture of her and 3 other women who work at a hospital. Chemo brain - can't remember the name of the hospital.

    Glenna- it is North Valley
    Glenna- it is North Valley Hospital- it's a great place to work! I must have my FB privacy set to CIA level..will try to find you all!
    Stacey
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #18
    Greg53 said:

    Hairballs and...
    Stacey and Deb, you crack me up! Where are the musicians to finish the song? Mick, I mean Ned, where are you?

    Well..I found the cancer
    Well..I found the cancer survivor network group with the 3 members,but I also found a head and neck cancer FB group, which led me to the post below on acupuncture. I am going to try acupuncture at some point, but I have checked with one provider and she really has not ever worked with decreased salivary function before.
    I did find Pam on Facebook :)--my email is staceyalmosgmail.com


    Post from Head and Neck cancer alliance (for what it is worth..)

    Last weekend I went to Washington DC, where I was treated by Dr. Richard Niemtzow who is a radiation oncologist. He is also an acupuncturist, and a retired Colonel in the USAF. He specializes in head and neck cancer treatment, and has developed a special protocol for treating dry mouth with acupuncture. When I spoke to him on the phone, he told me he could significantly increase my saliva flow with just two treatments, with the results being felt within ten minutes or so of the start of the treatment. Needless to say I was skeptical, but he came highly recommended by a doctor friend here in Greenwich. To make a long story short, I went to DC this past weekend, and it worked just as he said. I felt a saliva flow increase mid-way thru the first treatment on Saturday, and a significant increase as a result of the second treatment on Sunday.
    He only sees private patients on the weekend, as he has gone back to the USAF despite being retired. This guy is a wizard. If you can get to DC to get the treatment, i would highly recommend it. If you can't, and you can find an acupuncturist locally, he has posted his protocol on his website, and is happy to take calls from professionals to help them.
    This really worked for me. Today, I have much more saliva (not like before treatment - 35 radiation sessions and chemo) but much better. You can find him on a google search, and read about his work.
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #19
    staceya said:

    Well..I found the cancer
    Well..I found the cancer survivor network group with the 3 members,but I also found a head and neck cancer FB group, which led me to the post below on acupuncture. I am going to try acupuncture at some point, but I have checked with one provider and she really has not ever worked with decreased salivary function before.
    I did find Pam on Facebook :)--my email is staceyalmosgmail.com


    Post from Head and Neck cancer alliance (for what it is worth..)

    Last weekend I went to Washington DC, where I was treated by Dr. Richard Niemtzow who is a radiation oncologist. He is also an acupuncturist, and a retired Colonel in the USAF. He specializes in head and neck cancer treatment, and has developed a special protocol for treating dry mouth with acupuncture. When I spoke to him on the phone, he told me he could significantly increase my saliva flow with just two treatments, with the results being felt within ten minutes or so of the start of the treatment. Needless to say I was skeptical, but he came highly recommended by a doctor friend here in Greenwich. To make a long story short, I went to DC this past weekend, and it worked just as he said. I felt a saliva flow increase mid-way thru the first treatment on Saturday, and a significant increase as a result of the second treatment on Sunday.
    He only sees private patients on the weekend, as he has gone back to the USAF despite being retired. This guy is a wizard. If you can get to DC to get the treatment, i would highly recommend it. If you can't, and you can find an acupuncturist locally, he has posted his protocol on his website, and is happy to take calls from professionals to help them.
    This really worked for me. Today, I have much more saliva (not like before treatment - 35 radiation sessions and chemo) but much better. You can find him on a google search, and read about his work.

    Facebook
    When I do a search for "Cancer Survivors Network" I see the group and there are currently 42 members, including me.
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #20
    SASH said:

    Facebook
    When I do a search for "Cancer Survivors Network" I see the group and there are currently 42 members, including me.

    I found the group! At first
    I found the group! At first (since I was searching by number of members) I almost joined the Canadian Bladder Cancer network..but then read more closely.
    Thanks for the info,
    Stacey
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #21
    SASH said:

    Facebook
    When I do a search for "Cancer Survivors Network" I see the group and there are currently 42 members, including me.

    I found the group! At first
    I found the group! At first (since I was searching by number of members) I almost joined the Canadian Bladder Cancer network..but then read more closely.
    Thanks for the info,
    Stacey

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