9 month follow-up complete

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ERomanO
ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
edited April 2019 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

My 9 month post date technically was March 18, but today was the first day I could see all the docs/nurse practitioners on the same day.  Anyway, NED all the way, and everything looks great!  All healed up inside and out and no issues whatsoever.  My edema is less than the double chin most guys at my weight are sporting and barely even noticeable.  Heck, even the last couple of days it's felt like my neuropathy has backed off a little... the dry mouth too.  The one nurse practitioner, who I talked with the longest, and I had a nice long talk about the whole HPV aspect, since I'm widowed and would like to be in a relationship again someday.  She pretty much echoed what has been said here already by a few members about it not being a risk factor and to simply "go on with your life as you have been".  She even brought up the notion that disclosure to a potential partner is not necessary, but understands how I would probably want to be open about it up front since the leftovers of treatments (dry mouth, dental trays, etc) would eventually bring up the topic.  We also had some laughs about a romantic evening that included Saran Wrap or full body condoms. :-p

All in all, I am feeling very good.  The little annoyances I have are just that, and nothing to agonize over.

My very best to all of you!!!

Comments

  • bugsyboy
    bugsyboy Member Posts: 39
    #2
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    Fantastic!

    It just doesn't get any better than that.  Congratulations!

    Keep up the good work.

    Bugsy

  • skidog
    skidog Member Posts: 74 Member
    #3
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    AWESOME NEWS!!

    Congratulations. keep up the great health!

  • armana
    armana Member Posts: 97 Member
    #4
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    Great News

    So happy for you. I am 4 1/2 years post treatment and dry mouth still keeps improving little by little every day.

    You have a great start and it will keep getting better.

     

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,285 Member
    #5
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    What A Blessing

    That your scans are clear and things are going so well for you. Nice to be on the other side and in "NED Land"-Take Care-God Bless

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
    #6
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    Thanks!  Only 15 more months

    Thanks!  Only 15 more months to go to hit the proverbial 2 year mark, but the better I feel the less concerned I am about that milestone.  If I feel good enough now, I'll get on with life now!

    armana, that's great to hear and what I hope will be the case for me as well - gradual, steady improvement.

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
    #7
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    wbcgaruss said:

    What A Blessing

    That your scans are clear and things are going so well for you. Nice to be on the other side and in "NED Land"-Take Care-God Bless

    Thanks!  I do feel blessed

    Thanks!  I do feel blessed because it seems like little variations in how we begin this process/journey can greatly affect the results.  

  • ProustLover
    ProustLover Member Posts: 121 Member
    #8
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    ERomanO said:

    Thanks!  Only 15 more months

    Thanks!  Only 15 more months to go to hit the proverbial 2 year mark, but the better I feel the less concerned I am about that milestone.  If I feel good enough now, I'll get on with life now!

    armana, that's great to hear and what I hope will be the case for me as well - gradual, steady improvement.

    Great news!

    Thanks for the update, ERomanO!  It's a relief to hear great news for your sake, and for our hope-levels, too.   

  • big G
    big G Member Posts: 176 Member
    #9
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    ProustLover said:

    Great news!

    Thanks for the update, ERomanO!  It's a relief to hear great news for your sake, and for our hope-levels, too.   

    NED!

    Congrats, another milestone wishing you more check ups just like that. 

  • FOMC
    FOMC Member Posts: 25 Member
    #10
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    Congrats

    Hopefully many more great updates

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
    #11
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    Thanks!  Nine months isn't

    Thanks!  Nine months isn't really a very long, but it sure feels like it.  I think the one year mark will be more dramatic because I'll be thinking about how miserable I was around that time the year before.  I doubt that our H&N cancer can be totally forgotten because there will always be reminders, but hopefully those reminders will be less frequent as time goes by.  Who knows, maybe someday we'll have to force a memory out from the archives.

  • tbret
    tbret Member Posts: 71 Member
    #12
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    ERomanO said:

    Thanks!  Nine months isn't

    Thanks!  Nine months isn't really a very long, but it sure feels like it.  I think the one year mark will be more dramatic because I'll be thinking about how miserable I was around that time the year before.  I doubt that our H&N cancer can be totally forgotten because there will always be reminders, but hopefully those reminders will be less frequent as time goes by.  Who knows, maybe someday we'll have to force a memory out from the archives.

    I am glad to hear another

    Yet another NED !  This is really, really awesome for you and for all of us.   You are doing GREAT.   Nine months can feel like an eternity.  The best part is that you haven't even gotten to the best part, yet.

    In my case things got much better at about the stage you are at, but are continuing to improve, noticably, after about two and a half years.  It ain't done improving 'til it's not improving.

     

    Congratulations on the fine check-up.

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 317 Member
    #13
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    Thanks!  I hesitate to say

    Thanks!  I hesitate to say this for fear of jumping the gun, but just in the last week (since I posted this) I have noticed an improvement in my saliva - I'm producing more and it's not quite as sticky.  In the last couple months or so I have on occasion felt my salivary glands become stimulated after eating some low sugar strawberry preserves or dried apricots.  I guess it's the citrus in them that does it... just like if you sucked on a lemon your salivary glands will go into overdrive to compensate for all that citrus.  My neuropathy comes and goes.  It's always present to an extent, but every couple days it hits a little harder, then fades.  I can live with that.  Saliva if a different story.  We can make up for reduced taste by adding more spice to our foods, but lack of saliva affects us around the clock.  If just enough can be produced to eliminate the need to always carry a bottle of water, or to always have to wash down every single bite of food with water, that is one major leap towards feeling closer to normal again!  I feel like I might be getting to that point.  We'll see.

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