When being “not bright” is a good thing

Goalie
Goalie Member Posts: 184
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
So, after all those weeks of radiation and chemo and then weeks of being “too hot” to scan (the only time in my life I have ever been “too hot”) we finally did the PET/CT scans to confirm what we already believed. The surgeon called me today to tell me that the scan came out fine and he sees no bright signs of cancer on the right or left sides. While he didn’t use the words, this is as close to NED as I need for now.

We are still going in next week for a very limited neck dissection to take out the scar tissue of the now-shrunken ex-cancerous lymph node and perhaps its neighbors but this makes it a very much more limited operation in scope and intent.

I should thank the members of this community for their support and for taking away much of the doubts of the past months. But most of the credit goes to my family and specifically, my wife, who carried me through the ordeal. Without her, I believe I would not have survived.

How are we celebrating? I am going to go warm up in my hockey equipment tonight and then tomorrow night will play a full practice. I am nowhere near ready for a game but I think this I can manage. And I am picking up a pizza on the way back tonight. My first. (Note: this was last night. The pizza tasted like cardboard and I am incredibly sore just from warming up. So what!)

May you all be in recovery. Doug

Comments

  • Kimba1505
    Kimba1505 Member Posts: 557
    #2
    Back in the "game".
    Doug,
    What a positive post. You are doing what needs to be done, resuming your normal activities, even if they are not quite up to snuff yet. Japanese proverb: Fall down six times; get up seven.
    Good luck with the surgery. Seems like it is just to clean up the battle field.
    Congrats on your progress and "not being so bright". :)
    Kim
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #3
    The pizza gets better
    and as you just found out it really dosen't matter! Congrats on almost NED which is OK for now.
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #4
    Game on
    Congratulations Doug! That is great news. You're doing awesome! You're right about not surviving without your wife. God bless our caretakers.

    Bob
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    #5
    Grrrrrr-eat
    As Tony the Tiger would say : ) Outstanding news to read on a cloudy/ rainy Saturday morning. But each morning is Grrrreat in our eyes.

    Enjoy your weekend and let those sore muscles wake up slowly : )

    My Best to You and Everyone Here
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #6
    Great news!
    So happy to hear about NED! Now, keep on getting back up. The muscles get less sore and the pizza does start tasting better. At nine months out, it tastes pretty darn good to me.

    Let the recovery continue!

    Deb
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
    Hi Doug
    Great news, glad to see Ned in your life now, keeping positive is such a good healer.
    In time you will be in full swing and ready to play hockey again.

    All the best to you both
    Hondo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #8
    PizzaMan
    Congrats on moving forward....one goal at a time...

    Best,
    John
  • stevenl
    stevenl Member Posts: 587
    #9
    Skiffin16 said:

    PizzaMan
    Congrats on moving forward....one goal at a time...

    Best,
    John

    NED
    Nothing better than hearing that!!!! Congrats Doug. Keep on man.

    Best,
    Steve
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #10
    stevenl said:

    NED
    Nothing better than hearing that!!!! Congrats Doug. Keep on man.

    Best,
    Steve

    Congrats!
    So happy for you. Enjoy your practice and your card board pizza. :)
  • cook_louise@msn.com
    cook_louise@msn.com Member Posts: 2
    #11
    adventurebob said:

    Game on
    Congratulations Doug! That is great news. You're doing awesome! You're right about not surviving without your wife. God bless our caretakers.

    Bob

    forgive me doug
    i am new to this forum but have throat cancer want to talk to people with similar situations....
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #12
    Great News Doug
    So good to hear you're clear. Yeah my first pizza tasted just like cardboard, smelled great but tasted like crap. Only took one bite, couldn't even swallow it. But 6 months later and I'm having pizza tonight, my wife is in Bangkok and I'm on my own, so pizza it is. And it certainly does taste much much better now. Have to agree, that first workout is killer too. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #13
    cook_louise@msn.com said:

    forgive me doug
    i am new to this forum but have throat cancer want to talk to people with similar situations....

    Hi Louise
    You've come to the right place. I think you will get a much better response if you can start your own discussion topic. It is very easy to do, just go the Head and Neck cancer home page and near the top of the page click on: Post new discussion topic
    Cheers

    Jimbo
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #14
    Congrats Doug
    Congratulations on not being bright anymore!
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #15
    buzz99 said:

    Congrats Doug
    Congratulations on not being bright anymore!

    Yes
    I did appreciate it when that radioactive glow finally faded.

    Deb
  • mixleader
    mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
    #16
    Good Luck
    Hey, Doug. That's great news. I am so glad to hear that you are keeping your spirits high. Good luck with the 'clean up' surgery. I have had my neck opened up twice now and the last time I suggested to my surgeon that he may wish to install either a zipper or velcro in case we had to do it again. He declined.

    Roger
  • ekdennie
    ekdennie Member Posts: 238 Member
    #17
    congrats on being "not bright"!
    congrats! I am so very happy that you didn't glow! I wish you the best of luck with your surgery. my first pizza was horrible, but I kept at it trying to eat all but the crust just a little at a time. I dipped the first couple of tries in ranch dressing...made it softer to go down. I make my own pizza now...I did before as well, but when I make it myself I can monitor how done the crust gets as well as how much sauce and other toppings I put on it. enjoy the practice and the pizza!
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #18
    Good news
    Hi Doug, glad your not lighting up. I've tried pizza on and off, and my biggest problem with it is it needs more sauce. They like to pile on the cheese, but can leave it a bit dry. I felt the same before treatment. Less bread is always best still too, so thin crust is all I try.

    Best of luck on your partial dissection. I had mine in July. One thing I'll remind you of before you have it done. I had the "morphine" button (self administered) for one-night stay in the hospital (I was lucky to have a short stay), and I'm not opposed to pain meds, so I used it. Problem was not pain when I got home, but constipation. It was very uncommfortable for a couple of days. I'd use something the day before, during, and after.

    best, Hal
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #19
    AWESOME NEWS DOUG
    We are a hockey family too. Myself and my two sons play as well as lacrosse. I did manage to skate at a couple of pulic sessions recently, but nowhere near ready to suit up. I am going back to the gym today and try to slowly start some type of routine. Before I got sick I was a 240 LB competitive powerlifter. I do not see many 700 lb squats in my future.

    Best of luck, I have my first PET on the 21st.

    I am happy for you.

    Mike

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