I'm sorry for the double post but I was being limited to the amount I could type in this box? I'm the one bringing up the neck disection. My Ent first suggested it prior to TX then changed his mind saying he was biased to waiting post tx.

Do the lymph nodes get destroyed by the radiation permanaetly or do they begin funtioning at some later point? I see a lot of necrosis comming back in people's pet scans, does the body remove the dead cancer cells on its own?

Because of the recurrance rate and the fact that I have already used chemo and radiation I seem to be in the camp of give all you got?

I was not really given a choice with my age! They wanted to use every possible measure to attack this the first time. I had the glossectomy then followed that with a ND which in my case showed a very slight extra capsular spread in 1 node which NO scan could ever show! So then it was off to the radiation. I just personally feel much better knowing that the tumor or the possiblity of the tumor is totally out of my body and now there is less of a chance of it showing back up in that area down the road. The scar sucks, the tightness sucks and numb feeling sucks but hey you have to do what you have to do to beat this! In my opinion the ND was the easiest of all the procedures I have had so far! They clipped a nerve so I have some other issues that some people dont have but its manageable! I hate that word...I sound like my damn doctors now! That is there favorite saying when you ask them about the side effects..."Its manageable" Its kind of like "hunker down" after the 3 hurricanes that kicked our ass in southeast florida that was everyones favorite saying.....time to hunker down! Now everytime I hear someone say that I want to hit them! lol

Jim,

How are you these days? Saw your name and was just wondering, how is your weight and eating going?

WFC

Rick,

IMHO you really need to concentrate on the next few weeks of Tx and walking out of that tunnel and then talk to your docs (and get another opinion at a CCC if you want to) but don't waste any more time on a ND now.

Hey Jim, hope you are doing better.....let us know....been there and done that, from another Italian! SMILE!

WFC,
Feeling pretty good. I am able to eat pasta and softer foods that do not burn. My weight has been pretty much steady however I did lose a couple more lbs the past 2 weeks since I have stopped drinking the VHC so I think I am going to start drinking them again throughout the day. My RO called me yesterday to ask how I was doing and I told him that I was still coughing up some yellow/greenish mucous like I had a cold so he told me to come in and he prescribed me Biaxin to take for 2 weeks incase I have an infection. My throat is still very raw, sore and swollen. I went to the football game, walked about 4 miles that day and didnt get to bed till about 11pm so my energy level is ok thats for sure. I am still taking percocet every 4 hours because if I do not I cannot swallow, eat or barely talk not to mention I become extremely irritable so says my wife...lol! The node on my right side that was swollen is still there, it has not gotten any larger and still what my ENT calls a "sub-centimeter node"! They want to see if it goes away with the antibiotic and if not want to run a CT scan to take a look at it. They still seem to not be worried about it thinking it might be swollen from the radiation or hardened because of the radiation but of course do not want to take any chances. So hopefully that all goes well. We see but all in all I believe I am doing fairly well, I am looking at trying to get back to work Oct. 1st that is of course if my old employer hires me back! If not I will be hiring an attorney and suing them for discrimination! If it is not 1 thing its another! Thanks for asking WFC!

Oh Davidcpa how about them BUCS!!!!!!!!!! LOL, I do not need to talk about the Eagles 38-10 blowout of the panthers and there 5 INT's, 5 sacks, 2 fumbles and a 85 yard punt return for TD by Desean Jackson because I am sure you already heard about it....lol

Jim,

Sounda like you are doing OK. That's great. I continue to lose weight, down 65lbs, and now the Drs think my thyroid got fried during radiation. I need to go for a Thyroid scan and cat scan next week.
One thing after another, but I am back to work for the last seven weeks and feeling somewhat tired, dry mouth
BUT
I am alive and doing ok!
Good luck to you and your Eagles in the future!

WFC

get a second opinion at a CCC,

Jim,

Yes I did hear about McNabb's broken ribs and Michael Vick's offer to "put him down" for free and that Vick's jersey has been the #1 Eagles seller. Humm

David,
LOL whats funny about the Vick Jersey is that most of the sales came from Atlanta Fans converting to Eagles fans....Can you believe that? I was at the game on sunday and saw thousands upon thousands of eagles jerseys! We basically turned Charlotte into a mini Philly! I saw MAYBE 2 Vick jerseys the entire time and I was looking for them! A lot of the sports stores in Philly refuse to even sell them, infact there is a store that sells nothing but philly stuff for animals that has lost 50% of its business since they signed Vick! Crazy! Hey Stallworth kills a human being and gets 30 days in jail and nobody says anything about him. Vick gets 2 years in federal prison and everyone hates him...I believe in 2nd chances and so far he has done A LOT in the community and they are slowly coming around. That whole Stallworth ordeal makes me sick! We value a dogs life more than an humans life with a young family??? Doesnt make sense to me.

On a different note....I have heard a lot of you talk about your thyroid getting fried during the radiation. 1st how do you get that checked? Blood work? Also, if it did how do they fix it if anything or do they remove it totally and you have to take meds the rest of your life?