| Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | Ok Nurse lady...let's get down to the brass tax. I'm not going to hold it against you (much) that you are a medical professional, but just to be safe I'll keep things very simple for you so your medical training doesn't interfere with good sense. I know this sounds harsh but let me assure you it's not a personal attack and said in more of a "smart ass" joking tone (see David, I'm making an attempt to clarify so not to offend!).
1st. It's NOT cancer until a biopsy says it is...so let's not jump to conclusions before there is confirmation and staging information. It will only drive you into an emotional wreck.
2nd. Do yourself a favor, seek out the BEST medical advice available to you. As a nurse yourself, you know there are good Dr's and there are bad Dr's...all come with a God Complex but a few actually know their ass from a hole in the ground.
As a medical professional, you've seen or read about cancer...but you don't really know until you've lived it so take your cues from the people that have actually lived through it and experienced it. I mean let's face it, the best driving directions are from people that have traveled the road...not those that have just read a road map.
Welcome to OCF, we care, we've been where you are and we're on the other side and here to help.
Eric
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
| | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 229 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 229 | [quote=EricS] As a medical professional, you've seen or read about cancer...but you don't really know until you've lived it so take your cues from the people that have actually lived through it and experienced it. I mean let's face it, the best driving directions are from people that have traveled the road...not those that have just read a road map.[/quote]
And as a fellow RN in the OR, this is so true.
Patty 08-10-09 Partial Glossectomy w/suprahyoid neck dissection SCC T1NOMX Stage I | 46 years old
| | | | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 | Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support. . . maybe I will change my user name to "nurse lady." I would have responded sooner but worked a 12 hour shift today. Thanks for reminding me it isn't cancer until the official biopsy is in, no matter how much I think I know! Thanks also for the info about Shands. I don't work there and don't know any of their doctors (never had reason to). After talking to several people where I work, I was encouraged to go ahead and get the work-up done at Baptist as it is apparently somewhat difficult to get in at Shands, especially if you don't have a diagnosis yet. I plan to call the ENT's office first thing in the morning to try to get things moving as far as the biopsy. Right now the worst thing is not knowing what I am dealing with.
Susan Age 51, married with four kids age 11-18, 9/1/2010, Bx: high grade mucoepidermoid CA left sublingual gland. 10/8/2010, wide excision left floor of mouth, modified radical node dissection left neck. T1N0M0. IMRT started 11/22. Never smoked, light social drinker Also happen to be ICU RN | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | My 2 daughters and daughter in law are in the medical field too. I really appreciated them for being in my corner. Girlfriend ran like a snake had her but the relatives are still looking out for me. Always one of them for all appointments which is great as my mind forgets what is told to me. LOL
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 | The ball is finally starting to roll. When I called ENT's office first thing today, I was told ENT STILL had not talked to radiologist but would try to go over to the hospital during lunch. ENT finally called at 1:30! Says the mouth lesion is not in a position where it can be biopsied by FNA, so radiology will bx the lymph node as well as the largest nodes on either side of my thyroid (ultrasound guided for all 3). He did admit, however, that it is highly unlikely that if I have thyroid cancer it would have mets to the mouth. He has handpicked the pathologist he wants there during the procedure to check the samples. Hopefully it will be scheduled in the next few days. Depending on the results of these biopsies he will decide what to do to the mouth lesion . I feel a little calmer just knowing that the biopsies are finally in the works.
Susan Age 51, married with four kids age 11-18, 9/1/2010, Bx: high grade mucoepidermoid CA left sublingual gland. 10/8/2010, wide excision left floor of mouth, modified radical node dissection left neck. T1N0M0. IMRT started 11/22. Never smoked, light social drinker Also happen to be ICU RN | | | | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 | BIOPSIES ARE SCHEDULED! This Thursday- 8 AM!
Susan Age 51, married with four kids age 11-18, 9/1/2010, Bx: high grade mucoepidermoid CA left sublingual gland. 10/8/2010, wide excision left floor of mouth, modified radical node dissection left neck. T1N0M0. IMRT started 11/22. Never smoked, light social drinker Also happen to be ICU RN | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | That is pretty fast. Good luck and we will pray for negative results.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 87 | I had my biopsies yesterday morning-- definitely not fun. Although the radiologist who had gone over the CT scan with my ENT had said the mouth lesion was not in a place where it could be biopsied by FNA, the radiologist actually doing the procedure felt he could get to it. He tried twice but the tissue started bleeding so he could not see it on ultrasound anymore. Between that and the severe pain I was in he stopped trying. If I ever have that done again I will insist on sedation-- local anesthetics only go so far. My sister, a nurse anesthetist in TN, was shocked I wasn't sedated for that. Anyway, he was able to get samples from the lymph node and both sides of the thyroid and those weren't so bad. I went home in severe pain in my mouth, applied ice and took pain pills I had left over from something else, and laid on the couch the rest of the day! Thanks goodness my husband had ignored my claims that he did not need to come with me and I'd be able to drive myself home. We have an appt. to go in 10:30 Tuesday for the results.
Susan Age 51, married with four kids age 11-18, 9/1/2010, Bx: high grade mucoepidermoid CA left sublingual gland. 10/8/2010, wide excision left floor of mouth, modified radical node dissection left neck. T1N0M0. IMRT started 11/22. Never smoked, light social drinker Also happen to be ICU RN | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 229 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 229 | I've been thinking of you and wondering how everything went. I'm sorry they had you go through all that. That sounds too much to just try with a local.
I hope you are feeling better today.
Patty 08-10-09 Partial Glossectomy w/suprahyoid neck dissection SCC T1NOMX Stage I | 46 years old
| | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | Nurse Lady,
What you'll find is that you really have to slap your medical professionals around a bit to get them to understand what YOU are going through, particularly in the pain department.
Everybody is different especially when it comes to pain tolerances and since the Dr's doing the procedures have never had them done on themselves, they are generally clueless...go figure. I have a tendancy to let them know it ("Hey idiot, that f*cking hurt! next time drug me you dumb bastard!")and find it's the best policy.
My wife made a sign that hung over my hospital bed after my mandiblectomy/flap/neck dissection that read "Don't touch him without pain medication!"
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
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