How long have you survived

matthewcplourde said:

~11 years
squamous cell
~11 years

squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue... I don't recall the classification, but they whisked me pretty much immediately into surgery. 1 coma, 1 month in the hospital, 3 months of radiation.

Hi Matthew
11 years now that is something to be happy about

PS: Welcome to our little faimily here on CSN

patricke said:

How long have you survived?
I just passed the 10 year mark, YEEEEEEE HAAAAAW; I am so grateful to be alive!! I feel that beyond survive, I thrive. I truely believe in the adage that every day of life is a gift. I had stage 4 base of tongue cancer when it was finally diagnosed. I had radical surgery (as it is referred to) to remove the 5 cm tumor, along with seventytwo lymph nodes among which 6 were positive. I had 38 sessions of radiation (oh, such fond memories of the treatment...I don't think so). Hang in there pascotty; it gets better...........*

PATRICK

Going on 6 Months
...Since I was diagnosed with SCC unknown primary. Had left neck dissection, 42 lymph nodes removed along with tonsils. One lymph node cancerous with no extracapsular spread. No further treatment.
So basically I learned that cancer had spread in my head and neck from an unknown source and that the source may be in there lurking still. There's a pleasent thought.
Had a PET scan a couple of months ago come back with suspicious BOT activity. Biopsy came back negative. Yay!
Everyday I thank God for healing me. Everyday I have moments of doubt, fleeting moments, and I wonder if I did the right thing in not getting radiation. It was the tumor boards recommendation and I still know that it was the right decision for my particular case BUT doubt itself is like a cancer and it can creep into your mind and grow.
I feel the occasional pain in my throat or neck and immediately imagine a grapefruit sized tumor growing on my tongue. I wonder if my kids will be able to handle it if I had to have my tongue removed.
These moments of fear are short lived but they can really get under your skin some days.
I feel like I haven't had an exam in several months but it has only been 4 weeks. I find myself looking forward to having a tube jammed up my nose and the docs fingers down my throat just to know that things are still looking good.
Sometimes I think it would have been nice for a primary to have been found on my tonsil just so that I'd know where it had started and blasted the heck out of it.
So I will continue to fight this mental fight with prayer and positive thought.

Joel4 said:

Going on 6 Months
...Since I was diagnosed with SCC unknown primary. Had left neck dissection, 42 lymph nodes removed along with tonsils. One lymph node cancerous with no extracapsular spread. No further treatment.
So basically I learned that cancer had spread in my head and neck from an unknown source and that the source may be in there lurking still. There's a pleasent thought.
Had a PET scan a couple of months ago come back with suspicious BOT activity. Biopsy came back negative. Yay!
Everyday I thank God for healing me. Everyday I have moments of doubt, fleeting moments, and I wonder if I did the right thing in not getting radiation. It was the tumor boards recommendation and I still know that it was the right decision for my particular case BUT doubt itself is like a cancer and it can creep into your mind and grow.
I feel the occasional pain in my throat or neck and immediately imagine a grapefruit sized tumor growing on my tongue. I wonder if my kids will be able to handle it if I had to have my tongue removed.
These moments of fear are short lived but they can really get under your skin some days.
I feel like I haven't had an exam in several months but it has only been 4 weeks. I find myself looking forward to having a tube jammed up my nose and the docs fingers down my throat just to know that things are still looking good.
Sometimes I think it would have been nice for a primary to have been found on my tonsil just so that I'd know where it had started and blasted the heck out of it.
So I will continue to fight this mental fight with prayer and positive thought.

KEEP THE GOOD FIGHT GOING
Hey Joel,I know that the uncertainty can be a bear, but you've got positive results (i.e., no cells) from the biopsy, so go with that great news. Keep up that positive mental attitude, fortified with your faith, and, as they say, take it one day at a time living each day to the the fullest (as you no doubt already do)! On a side note, unless a tumor had completely engulfed your tongue, it would not have to be removed, especially these days with the advances in radiation technology. I had a 5 cm tumor removed from the base of my tongue 10 years ago, and my ENT (God bless him!) was, by and large, able to rebuild my tongue. This past July, when I was hiking to the top of Mt. Washington in NH, and pouring a can of food down my PEG tube at a shelter half way up, a fellow hiker, who happened to notice (hard not to), came over and told me that he too had had tongue cancer. He (Ralph)told me that 3 years ago, when he was diagnosed, he had been treated with a new radiation tool, which precisely targeted his tumor and erradicated it without surgery. Ralph said that his PEG tube was removed 3 weeks ago, and he was hiking up Mt. Washington to celebrate.

PATRICK

patricke said:

THANKS
John, thank you for the congratulations and for your kind thoughts. I am with you 100% regarding whipping cancer! I very much appreciate the CSN group celebration, THANK YOU!!

PATRICK

Thanks
Thank you Patrick for the encouraging words and congratulations on hitting the 10 year mark. That is awesome!

Almost years
Hi all:

Even though Charlie passed away in Aug. 2010 I still consider him a survivor for almost two years and as his doctor told me after his passing we did get a remission and I will be forever grateful for that as we did get to do some things we wanted to do and he did return to work for a little over a year so it can be beat if for some for only a little while; it's better than nothing! Keep up the good work everybody!

Jan (Basketcase)

pascotty said:

Wakey wakey
Thought I'd wake this post up again. Please add xxxxx

Since lump or actual c diagnosis?
I think the lump, who was called Rutherford, was first seen this last summer, in August 2010, so that would put me @ 5 months or so. Actual diagnosis was in the middle of surgery for what was thought to be a benign cyst, 11/18/10, so about 2 months counting thataway.

T1N2b, tonsil, left neck dissection. About halfway through daily radiation and weekly chemo (carboplatin), to finish up in early February.

Great to see so many with years and years!

Be well!

sportsman said:

Survival
I will be in February four years post treatment for pharyngeal cancer. Did not think I would make it initially but I am Blessed by still being around.

surviving!
Last rad for stage 4 tonsil cancer was Sept.3,2010. My pet/ct scan is set for Feb.3rd. I feel, as does my oncol, that I am fine! I told her that I refuse to have it any other way!

This site is wonderful, even when things are beyond difficult for any and all of us, this site has such a positive attitude.....thank you! HR

depends
for me it depends on how you look at it.
I first noticed my tumor 6 years ago (jan 2005). I was diagnosed in late june 2010 (6-7 months), had it removed in august 2010 (5 months ago) and finished radiation at the end of Nov 2010 (1 1/2 months). either way...I survived it and I will continue to survive!
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Hard Palate with growth into the Maxillary sinus causing decalification of portion of septum and portion of right upper jaw. T2N0M0, low to intermediate grade clear cell variety, stage 4a clinically, stage 2 pathologically

arjenkins said:

so good to hear the succcess stories
All of your posts...from a couple of months to 10+ years post treatment give me inspiration. My Dad just took his 5th chemo today (as well as which ever number of radiation this is)....2 weeks left. Just praying for great results for him and everyone going through this ordeal!

I definitely believe in a positive attitude and faith in God are two of the most important aspects...they sure have helped my Dad and me so far.


Praying for you all

Andrea

Time goes by so fast
It will be 6 years on March 2011 from 2nd treatment

arjenkins said:

so good to hear the succcess stories
All of your posts...from a couple of months to 10+ years post treatment give me inspiration. My Dad just took his 5th chemo today (as well as which ever number of radiation this is)....2 weeks left. Just praying for great results for him and everyone going through this ordeal!

I definitely believe in a positive attitude and faith in God are two of the most important aspects...they sure have helped my Dad and me so far.


Praying for you all

Andrea

More Help
Does this help more. As of Jan. 18th Tuesday will be my 15 years.

Congrats to any survivor!

So everyone knows Survivorship starts the day you are told "you have cancer"

John