Bring on the chemo

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rmkbrad
rmkbrad Member Posts: 176
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I no it sounds sick, but the pain I have been having is to much to handle. If the chemo will shrink or kill the tumor before I have brachythrepy radiation bring it on. The pain this morning, urg... tylenol would not touch it. So back on oxycodone, I have been off it for several months and do not like the way it makes me feel, but the pain feels like a red hot poker being pushed through my left ear into my head.

Brad

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  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #2
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    understand
    Your sentiment and desire to end the pain is understandable.

    Hope you are able to relax and enjoy your Thanksgiving and use this time to generate energy for the upcoming fight.

    You will do well.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #3
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    Shrinking Feeling
    Hi Brad, I don't remember your specifics... But I had tonsil cancer (right side) SCC STG III HPV+ with a tumor or swollen lymph node also.

    They took the tonsils out first thing. then nine weeks of chemo (Taxotere, Cisplatin and 5FU). That was in three week cycles. Between the 2nd and 3rd cycle, my tumor completely dissolved and has been clean for 18 months.

    Hoping for the best to you and yours during the Holidays and always... Thoughts & Prayers

    Best,
    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Shrinking Feeling
    Hi Brad, I don't remember your specifics... But I had tonsil cancer (right side) SCC STG III HPV+ with a tumor or swollen lymph node also.

    They took the tonsils out first thing. then nine weeks of chemo (Taxotere, Cisplatin and 5FU). That was in three week cycles. Between the 2nd and 3rd cycle, my tumor completely dissolved and has been clean for 18 months.

    Hoping for the best to you and yours during the Holidays and always... Thoughts & Prayers

    Best,
    John

    Ear pain.
    That ear pain is wicked. :( Wishing you much luck Brad!
  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #5
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    Wishing you...
    Wishing you the best and I hope the oxycodone helps with the pain. I know how bad it can get as that was one of the first symptoms of one of my cancers.

    Stay strong,
    Glenna
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #6
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    pain
    Sorry for your pain Brad. The chemo did help with mine. As pain takes so much energy it is really important to get on a medication schedule that prevents it from coming. Generally, if you have pain you've waited a bit too long to take your medication. It took me a couple months to accept this as I was pretty frightened of pain meds and the way it made me feel. Once I got regular though the pain didn't come and the "high" was not present anymore either. For me oxycodone didn't even touch tumor pain. 12 hour morphine and dilaudid for breakthrough did the job though. Once the chemo shrunk the tumors I was able to space out the morphine longer than 12 hours until I just didn't use it anymore because the pain was gone. All my best to you and prayers for your pain relief and successful treatment.

    Bob
  • rmkbrad
    rmkbrad Member Posts: 176
    #7
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    My story
    I started out with stage 1 esophagus cancer, during my pet for that they discovered a stage 4 cancer in my left tonsil and base of the tongue with a few spots in my right lung and some hot spots on the right side of my neck. Febuary I had my tonsils removed and some other stuff around the same area carved out. March I started 45 sessions of radiation and six rounds of carboplatin, I had a severe reaction to taxall. Anyway finished treatment May 19 and have been healing since, follow up PET scans have showen hot spots on both sides of my neck and I have had two biopsies. My last PET only shows the tumor on the base of my tongue, they wanted to cut my tongue out and I said no. There is being alive and there is living life. Being feeding tube dependant for the rest of my life and not being able to talk was not my view of living life, my family has been very supportive of my decision. So December 6 I start 4 rounds of cysplatin with all the other stuff that goes along with it, during my last session they will insert the catherders into the turmor and radiate it from the inside out. In my mind I do beleive it will finally kill the rest of the cancer. Ohh and by the way I am a kidney transplant receipant in 2000, the antirejection meds it what gave me the cancer in the first place. Love life like there is no tommorow.

    Brad
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #8
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    Ear Pain
    Sorry you're having such pain Brad. Tooth pain, ear pain, they can be the worst. I know what you mean about the pain pills, but if they help for now, take 'em. Best to with the chemo if you have it, and your procedure.

    Hal
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #9
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    Stay strong!
    Keep up the good fight! You can get through this, Brad. It's just another bump in this long bumpy road. I'll be sending healing thoughts your way. Take comfort and joy from your family and friends this holiday season.

    Deb
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #10
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    Don't Touch It
    I have NO idea how many times someone in my family would see me touching my ear or the side of my head around my ear, and say "don't mess with your ear - it'll make it worse". I did try to explain to one that A: It won't make it worse because the pain is not really coming from the outside and B: I know holding my head isn't going to help, but I'm going looney, and need to do something.

    Sorry you've got the ear pain going on. You know no one here is going to tell you that the pain meds are a bad idea. I know it's irritating to feel slow witted and hazy, but it beats having that "special" pain. Hope the meds help you enjoy the holiday.
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #11
    Options
    rmkbrad said:

    My story
    I started out with stage 1 esophagus cancer, during my pet for that they discovered a stage 4 cancer in my left tonsil and base of the tongue with a few spots in my right lung and some hot spots on the right side of my neck. Febuary I had my tonsils removed and some other stuff around the same area carved out. March I started 45 sessions of radiation and six rounds of carboplatin, I had a severe reaction to taxall. Anyway finished treatment May 19 and have been healing since, follow up PET scans have showen hot spots on both sides of my neck and I have had two biopsies. My last PET only shows the tumor on the base of my tongue, they wanted to cut my tongue out and I said no. There is being alive and there is living life. Being feeding tube dependant for the rest of my life and not being able to talk was not my view of living life, my family has been very supportive of my decision. So December 6 I start 4 rounds of cysplatin with all the other stuff that goes along with it, during my last session they will insert the catherders into the turmor and radiate it from the inside out. In my mind I do beleive it will finally kill the rest of the cancer. Ohh and by the way I am a kidney transplant receipant in 2000, the antirejection meds it what gave me the cancer in the first place. Love life like there is no tommorow.

    Brad

    Brad
    Best of luck with this treatment, hope it works for you and you finally get to hear some good news for a change. I had BOT stage 4 and one of the options given was the surgery to remove the tongue which came with the unpleasant lifestyle modifications you mentioned. My doctors recommended against the surgery for those very reasons and I didn't disagree. Instead I went through the 35 rads and 3 cistplatin injections. Finished treatment end of July and the 1st post treatment CT scan a few weeks ago came back clean. Sure hope it works out the same for you Brad. Stay strong. Cheers

    Jimbo

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