Nate,
Why are you using Peridex?
I'm somewhat guessing of course, but:

Peridex is an anti-gingivitis treatment and gums infected with gingivitis get sores and bleed.

Do you have periodontal issues (receding gums, excessive plaque, etc...). From here on you will need to get your teeth checked and cleaned every three to four months.

I'm surprised you are on Peridex, I thought it was alcohol based and alcohol based mouthwash isn't normally recommended for OC patients / survivors. So, there must be a medically necessity.

Consider getting a water-pic. Now that you have quit smoking the Water pic should clear up your gums and keep them healthy. Use it a couple times a day with warm water and a quarter teaspoon of 50/50 Salt & Baking Soda. 'BUT' during radiation you will want to keep the pressure real low.

I have never heard of OC-SCC growing as fast as you are imagining. Since your tumor was removed, the oral radiation will be going after microscopic cancer cells that would need many months to multiply into visible a tumor.

I don't know why your stage was up'd to stage IV, but lots of us were staged at IV and it doesn't mean a lot regarding being cured. A stage IV OC-SCC isn't necessarily the same as other stage IV cancers. It is combination of adverse TNM and invasive characteristic that really matter.

Knowledge is power. Study and Print out the TNM Staging info at http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/stages_cancer.htm and discuss it with your ENT or RO - they can explain exactly what was found that led to their change in staging and the implications.

Remember, "Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life" and you will only get to live it once, so always try and make the best of it.

OK, I know in a few weeks there will be some days that living once will be more than enough, but even those are a unique journey of a life time, so let the quest begin - stand up to cancer and live!

Tomorrow I have a 20 mile bike ride around beautiful Sail Bay and Mission Beach on my vintage Austro-Daimler Vent Noir - can life really get any better? I'll be around to let you know

So they had me stop peridex today and said to start using non-alcoholic scope from now on. Should I take one of my zofran pills tonight before chemo in the morning?

I don't know the normal Zofran protocol with Cisplatin. But do ask tomorrow at your CCC's infusion center.

I took it the last week or so of Radiation treatments and it worked real well, but they had to use anti-nausea suppositories (no fun experience that I couldn't even imagine) to first get me under-control because I would just barf up the Zofran.

Mine was a liquid Zofran (Ondansetron Hydrochloride) 10ML's down the PEG tube three times a day.

You want to really stay on top of nausea because if you can't keep anything down it will led to dehydration in just a matter of a few days and then you have to get saline IV's. Dehydration is a real mess - weak, disorientation ... no fun, so save it for the end, or not at all, if you can.

Hi Nate

Alex is a world expert on cisplatin after 3 months of chemo alone and then 2 months of chemradiation. We only finished radiation at the end of August and already I cannot remember what we did with anti-nausea pills. I don't think Alex took any anti-nausea pills the night before "chemo day" during the chemo-rad phase but he definitely did for a few days after. I think he was given Zofran in pill form as soon as he arrived at the ward and then was also given some IV anti-nausea meds as well as fluids and magnesium before the cisplatin was administered. They will make you pee before they let you go, so keep drinking through the chemo process - it will speed things up for you. We used to take about 5-6 hours with chemo and then spend an hour in radiation immediately after. The actual radiation (probably 15 minutes) was very quick - it's all the set up and positioning that takes the time.

PS Alex definitely took prednisolone which has anti nausea properties the night before chemo alone, but it may have been to avoid a hypersensitivity reaction from either cisplatin or one of the other chemo drugs he had. I am sure we didn't do this during chemorad

Nate, the nasuea should not hit you for several days. Check this with your chemo doc or even with the oncology nurses. Some people have very mild side effects from the first dose. I had cisplatin 3 doses but only was given 2. It hit me about a week later. Once it hits, do not stop taking the anti nasuea meds or it will get ahead of you and it will be impossible to keep things down. Drink tons of water to help your body flush it out. What Im telling you is what happened to me, doesnt mean it will effect you as much. Use the peg tube to help with your meds. Dissolve them in a tiny bit of warm water. Make sure you check with the doc or pharmacist about this so you dont dissolve any time release meds. The zofran works very well. I just picked up a prescription of zofran dissolvable tablets and the pharmacist told me they would have cost $2500 without insurance. If I were you I would start taking the zofran on a regular basis about day #5 after chemo.

Best of luck to you with everything.

Nate, just wanted to say Hi and let ya know I'm thinking of you today. Hope your first treatments are non-eventful.

Big Ole Hug!

D

Nate- The first year I constantly had anxiety about every little lump or bump. I thought for sure I felt something under my cheek bone and then on my collarbone. I was a freakin' basket case! Before every scan I was a mess. but over time I've just relaxed about it - mostly because the odds of a reoccurance for me now are very low.

What you are feeling is completely normal. I wish there was something that could help you to feel less anxious I take Ativan at night sometimes when I get anxious and have insomnia because I stay up thinking about bad stuff. Its really easy to spiral into a negative thought pattern.

The best thing is to just take one day at a time. Your body has gone through major assault so be patient with the healing. You still have more treatment to go through so just be good to yourself. Distract yourself as much as possible with the things that make you happy and excited about this precious life we have. You've been given the gift of knowledge that life IS so precious... even the bad days, the sad days and the rainy no good bad days. Every day is a gift.

Hang in there- and yes do tr some anti-anxiety meds if you think they might help.

Sending you healing vibes
XO Kate