starting treatment

areomech
areomech Member Posts: 33
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hello to all. Today I begin my jouney to become cancer free. Today I start radiation 35 total treatments. Tomorrow I start chemo for the first, third, and seventh week of radiation treatment. After the first of the year I hope to be a long time survivor.

Stay strong
Mike.
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Comments

  • kingcole42005
    kingcole42005 Member Posts: 178
    #2
    Good luck to you and may it go easy for you.
    Good luck to you and may it go easy for you. I start my radiation on 11/29. I'm sending positive thoughts your way.
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #3
    kingcole42005 said:

    Good luck to you and may it go easy for you.
    Good luck to you and may it go easy for you. I start my radiation on 11/29. I'm sending positive thoughts your way.

    Treatment
    I wish you both great success on your treatment & recovery. My thought's & prayer's are with you!
    God Bless
    Roz
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #4
    rozaroo said:

    Treatment
    I wish you both great success on your treatment & recovery. My thought's & prayer's are with you!
    God Bless
    Roz

    Mike and KingCole
    I'm hoping that both of you sail through treatment with minimal side effects. This journey that you are starting on is not an easy one but know that we are all here for both of you to support you in any way we can. Advice, encouragement or just a shoulder to lean on if you are having a bad day.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #5
    Starting Treatment
    Best of luck Mike during your treatment. I had the exact same regiment with the 35 rads and 3 chemo. Hope things go smoothly for you. Stay strong. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #6
    Stay Positive
    Stay positive, stay strong, you'll make it through.... I've had a similar regime' as well. While you are only starting, you can't make it to the end with out first being at this point in the journey.

    Best,
    john
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #7
    Skiffin16 said:

    Stay Positive
    Stay positive, stay strong, you'll make it through.... I've had a similar regime' as well. While you are only starting, you can't make it to the end with out first being at this point in the journey.

    Best,
    john

    Mike and Kingcole
    Wishing you both a treatment with managable and few side effects. Stay strong and positive. We are here praying and pulling for you.
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #8
    Enjoy the music
    I'm just a little over a week ahead of you Mike. I'll throw a couple blocks to clear a smooth path for you. A little music during the rads is a nice way to relax though I've been bringing in some crazy heavy stuff just to mess with the techs a little. I'm curious why you started the rads first though. I received the Cisplatin infusion first and then strolled down to radiation to get that magic. Apparently the chemo really lights up the cancer cells and makes the radiation much more effective. I found that out through research and questioned my docs on it. They acknowledged it and then went about changing my schedule to make it happen. Not sure that they would have if I hadn't pushed them on it. I was told after the first infusion it's not necessary to stage it that way as the chemo is still in the system lighting everything up.
    Anyway, all my best to you. Won't it be nice to be done with this piece by 2011?

    Bob
  • JUDYV5
    JUDYV5 Member Posts: 392
    #9
    Same path
    You are following the same path that I did. They had to push my last chemo back a week because of low red blood count, so I started chemo and radiation and ended them both on the same day. I hope your days in treatment go quickly. Remember to stay hydrated.
  • hawk711
    hawk711 Member Posts: 566
    #10
    JUDYV5 said:

    Same path
    You are following the same path that I did. They had to push my last chemo back a week because of low red blood count, so I started chemo and radiation and ended them both on the same day. I hope your days in treatment go quickly. Remember to stay hydrated.

    We've all been there
    Mike
    Go in their and kick cancers butt. The radiation is the real deal. It takes care of the stuff and the chemo makes sure it is gone. Keep getting plenty of rest, food, and stay hydrated. Tell your doctors if you need anything at all or ask one of us. We're here to help.

    Good Luck, stay positive.,
    STeve
  • rush1958
    rush1958 Member Posts: 223 Member
    #11
    Starting Treatment
    Where you are, we have been. Where we are, you shall soon be.

    Hang tough. It's worth the trials and tribulations.
  • mixleader
    mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
    #12
    Treatments
    Hi, Mike. I wish you well on your road to treatment and recovery. I'm sure you have heard many times from people on this site that there is indeed life after cancer. Stay strong and fight and beat this thing. Keep in touch to let us all know how you are doing. Best wishes and prayers headed your way from lots of nice folks.
  • ekdennie
    ekdennie Member Posts: 238 Member
    #13
    hey mike!
    Hey mike!
    wishing you much luck with your treatment. You already are a survivor! I wish you much luck in winning the cancer war. each battle/ each dose brings you one day closer to winning the war! I just finished 30 radiation treatments and at times it was very rough, but with my doctor's help I have been mostly pain free. sending you hugs!
    elizabeth
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #14
    Do Well in Treatment
    Aeromech and KingCole,

    Hoping for an uneventful treatment period. Hope nothing's exciting until your after treatment checks. As my doc said "The hope is that you will withstand treatment well". Hope you both can join the group of folks who sail through treatment.
  • stevenl
    stevenl Member Posts: 587
    #15
    Pam M said:

    Do Well in Treatment
    Aeromech and KingCole,

    Hoping for an uneventful treatment period. Hope nothing's exciting until your after treatment checks. As my doc said "The hope is that you will withstand treatment well". Hope you both can join the group of folks who sail through treatment.

    Good Luck
    Wishing you an uneventful treatment process.

    Best,
    Steve
  • Landranger25
    Landranger25 Member Posts: 210 Member
    #16
    stevenl said:

    Good Luck
    Wishing you an uneventful treatment process.

    Best,
    Steve

    Drive on!
    Hey guys, similar to those above, had 33 rads and 3 chemos. Listen to the Docs and nurses, they will help you get through this. My nurses at the cancer center were especially tuned into me everyday. You can do this. Good luck.

    Mike
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #17
    STAY POSITIVE
    Guys, best of luck on your treatments. Please stay positive, even if the worst of the side effects hit you. I am one month post treatment and am still having allot of issues. I would do it all over again if it means I beat the beast.

    STAY STRONG!!

    MIKE
  • scottied
    scottied Member Posts: 36 Member
    #18
    starting your treatment
    just a heads up. I started my treatment exactly one year ago. 35 rads and 6 chemos. last treatment was x-mas eve last year. In April I had a modified neck dissection to remove the lymph nodes from the left side of my neck. Not gonna lie, its a pretty brutal treatment to go through but now less than a year later I have gained all my weight back (30 lbs)Almost all taste is back and saliva is even pretty good (I don't need to carry a water bottle with me all the time). Other than getting tired a little faster I'm back to my old self ( I work full time, just fall asleep at night a little earlier lol). Just remember it will get better! I had a pet scan about a month ago and all was clear. I think the worst part for me was even though the doctors had told me the worst of it happens for a few weeks after treatment I thought there was no way because I wasn't being radiated anymore! Guess what? they were right! Looking back it seemed like it took for ever but it really is a short period of treatment to save your life! My best friend died 2 years ago of a very rare cancerous brain tumor, he had radiation and steadily took different chemos to try to hold off the cancer for two years straight until he passed away. So remember that although you think you couldn't have it any worse, some people have it alot worse! Just the fact that your cancer is a curable cancer is a great thing. Always remember that!
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #19
    Busy time
    Hello Mike and KingCole,

    I'm about 8-9 months from chemo and radiation, 35 and 3 also. Like John said, starting is the first step to getting it done. Going back and forth for the rads, and back and forth to the bathroom or sink to rinse and gargle will keep you busy. I had a great rad tech duo that helped me a lot. It'll pass quickly, and I hope painlessly, for both of you.
    best, Hal
  • MJ70
    MJ70 Member Posts: 75
    #20
    Mike and King Cole
    Good Luck to both of you..They told me when i started similiar treatments seven years ago that they didn't know what or where i had been in my life but this one will be one i will never forget...Thank god for short memories..Just be strong and stay hydrated...I had them give me fluid in my PIC line as i was not getting enough with through my peg..Fluid and food at the same time was more than i could handle... ended up in the ER five times from being dehydrated....before we started the PIC line process.. At 6"5" i ended up losing 90lbs lbs...I needed that and still have it off...My twin brother is fighting to stay below 300 and i am fighting to stay above 210..That is my positive...I truly wish i had found this site back then as the docs know alot but the people that have gone through it know the most..My opinion...Every thing you will experience i bet we have all gone through it... Stay positive... MJ
  • susan0803
    susan0803 Member Posts: 90
    #21
    MJ70 said:

    Mike and King Cole
    Good Luck to both of you..They told me when i started similiar treatments seven years ago that they didn't know what or where i had been in my life but this one will be one i will never forget...Thank god for short memories..Just be strong and stay hydrated...I had them give me fluid in my PIC line as i was not getting enough with through my peg..Fluid and food at the same time was more than i could handle... ended up in the ER five times from being dehydrated....before we started the PIC line process.. At 6"5" i ended up losing 90lbs lbs...I needed that and still have it off...My twin brother is fighting to stay below 300 and i am fighting to stay above 210..That is my positive...I truly wish i had found this site back then as the docs know alot but the people that have gone through it know the most..My opinion...Every thing you will experience i bet we have all gone through it... Stay positive... MJ

    good luck
    Good luck and stay strong. My husband finished his 33 rads on 11/11/10. He only made it through 2 rounds of the chemo (cisplatin) due to hearing loss and tinnitus. Skipping the last chemo was Ok'ed by the oncologists, as it is not 100% proven that it is needed for his type of cancer (very small primary tumor in left tonsil, HPV+, ~8lymph nodes involved). If I may suggest something to you, is to keep reading the posts and follow any advice from this board you can. (For example, my husband swears by the LGlutamine which was recommended by people on this board.) I swear he would not have done as well as he did through treatments if it wasn't for the advice I read about here, and basically knowing what was going to happen to him before it did. The oncologists were only somewhat helpful. It was the people on this board that I believe really got us through it. One thing that I think he should have done, which he didn't, was to have hearing tests throughout the treatments. But oh well.

    Anyway, keep posting and good luck.
    Suzanne

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