| Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 38 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 38 | Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning, I forget that I have anything wrong with me. I pause, and the reality comes flooding back. I embrace it, and greet the day.
Sometimes, after I've been quiet for a long time, I speak, but don't recognize my own voice and I giggle.
Sometimes, I think I'll order the cheeseburger at the restaurant, and realize I can't get my mouth open wide enough to take a bite, so order the pasta instead. Then I feel glad, because I'd rather have pasta over a burger any day.
Sometimes, I thank God that I'm still alive, and feel the love of a thousand raindrops on my skin, and I think that I am one of the lucky ones.
Teacher aged 48, SCC Left side and floor of Tongue, Dx December, 2009. Stage II T2 N0 M0 Successful partial glossectomy surgery with thigh flap and neck dissection 3/8/10. 6 weeks of radiation tx ended 6/30/10. Happily surviving!
"Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere."
| | | | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 790 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 790 |
Tongue Cancer T2 N0 M0 / Total Glossectomy Due to Location of Tumor
Finished all treatments May 25 2007 Surviving!!!
| | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 179 "OCF Down Under" Senior Member (100+ posts) | "OCF Down Under" Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 179 | Your love of life is inspriring. As someone out of treatment for 3weeks, it gives me hope that someday i will feel the same as you now!!! Thank you for your post!!
35 Yrs old 03/10 SCC T1-T2 Partial Glossectemy end March - margins not clear enough. While waiting for resection - cancer returned,2 new cancerous lumps Re-section End May & flap from cheek attatched. Margins clear. Mid June - 4 teeth out Mid July -32 Rads and 3 Cisplatin 6th Sept 10 Finished Treatment!!
| | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,301 "OCF Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | "OCF Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,301 | Very nicely put. You have a great attitude Barb. May you continue to heal with each passing day. As Minnie says..inspiring
History Leukoplakia bx 8/2006 SCC floor mouth T3N0M0- Verrucous Carcinoma. 14 hour 0p SCC-Right ND/excision/marginal mandibulectomy 9/2006, 4 teeth removed, flap from wrist, trach-ng 6 days- no chemo/rad. 6 ops and debulking (flap/tongue join) + bx's 2006-2012. bx Jan 2012 Hyperkeratosis-Epithelial Dysplasia 24cm GIST tumour removed 8/2013. Indefinite Oral Chemo.
1/31/16 passed away peacefully surrounded by family
| | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | Loved your post. You must be such an inspiration to your students. The key word for me was "embrace". Reminds me of what Ekhart Tolle said: "Accept with joy and enthusiasm" and "What you resist persists". Accepting something doesn't mean you have to agree with it but I think it allows one to find ways to create a "new normal" instead of getting stuck in the "resisting" mode. There have been times when I thought, well, ok I will accept this but I couldn't muster up the joy and enthusiasm to go with it. You've given me a wonderful thought for the start of my day!
Anne-Marie CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 440 | You put a smile on my face! Loved reading this, thanks!
Dx 3/27/09 @ 28 years old with High Grade MEC T4N2M0 Elizabeth, 33, mother of 3 girls (4,7, &8yrs old) 3 rds of chemo(Carbo/Taxol) Rt Mandibulectomy, rt fibular flap,& rt ND with trach, picc,& g-tube. 30 rds of rads with weekly cisplatin SCANS ALL CLEAR! OCF Regional Coordinator of San Antonio Walk
| | | | Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 63 "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) | "OCF Down Under" Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 63 | :o) Great post...your line about the raindrops reminds of a day about 2 months after my surgery - a beautiful sunny day turned rainy and I grabbed my raincoat and walked barefeet through the rain for an hour or so...absolutely stoked to be alive!
peace. jp
stage 2 scc in left oral tongue. 32 at dx removed 21/12/09 plus left neck dissection and upper arm flap. clear pathology 24/12/09 non-smoker active footballer/surfer social drinker lives stress-free!
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 1,412 | Thanks for that post. I need to read that tonigh. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself because I am back to eating only foods I do not half to chew. Your post reminded me that I need to be thankful for every moment I have. By the way, what grade do you teach? I am a special ed. teacher at a middle school.
Angelia 31 at Dx. DX: 4/30/09, 10/21/09 SCC on floor of mouth, T1NOMO, T2N1M0 TX: 39 IMRT, 8 cisplatin 11/30/09 PET/CT: 11/03/09: Lymph node involvement PEG/PORT: 11/09 TX end: 02/01/10 PET Scan: 04/05/10 clear PEG Out: 06/21/10 Biopsy: 12/23/10: fibrosis HBO: 01/04/11 - ORN Baby girl born 11-30-12
| | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 26 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 26 | We can relate to your post. (Although we aren't as far along as you) We had the BEST family weekend doing a bunch of fun, healthy stuff and of course no one would know just looking at us that cancer was tagging along) I kinda felt guilty having such a good time, but justified it with knowing that soon enough radiation will take its toll and TEMPORARILY put a stop to all our fun!
CG to 44 year old husband, Dx: 9/23/10 SCC T2N0M0 (Right Tonsil)
Radiation only started on 10/13/2010 13/33 Radiation Treatments done!
| | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 | Great thoughts for a great life.
thank you. David 2
David 2 SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
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