| | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 5 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 5 | Surgery 10/29/12 R tonsillectomy/neck dissection along w/ part of the soft palate removed. Received 30 radiation treatments and 2 chemo/cisplatin treatments. Was not able to do the 3rd chemo due to low blood levels and lack of strenght. Still only swallowing water. Everything goes through his feeding tube. He has been off of work since the surgery. Wondering what to expect for recovery? Swallowing returning? Strenght returning?
Jonelle(wife) SCC Rt tonsil, 1 node + with capsular spread Stage 4 10/26/12 Rt tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection Finished tx 1/23/13 30 radiation to both sides, 2 cisplatin PEG still in. Doing Vital Stim. Inside jaw now open to the bone.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | How much of the soft palet was removed?
Kelly
Male
48, SCC (Soft Palet) Rt.,
Stage 1, T3n0m0,
Dx, 8-09, Start IMRT 35 9-2-09 end 10-21-09
04-20-10 NED
8-11 recurrence, node rt. neck N2b
10-11 33 IMRT w/chemo wkly
3-12-12 PET - residual cancer
4-12 5 treatments with Cyberknife & Erbitux
6-19-12 Pet scan CLEAR
12-3-12 PET - CLEAR
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Did they rebuild his palate? It will make it easier for food and drink. Tell him to keep swallowing - the two weeks following are the hardest then slowly things get better. The first few weeks I had post nasal drip. It felt like acid hitting the back of my throat, then one day a few weeks out it was ok. They say 1 month for every week of treatment. I was good about 4 weeks out then slowly taste returned and now I feel good. He'll get there.  congrats on getting him through it!
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 5 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 5 | THey have not rebuild his palate yet. ENT doc.said he will probably always have diff. swallowing. Still doing all tube feeds. Eating small amts of pudding. Now they are watching the open bone jaw area for osteroadionecrosis. Looking at hyperbaric oxygen therapy. He continues to have a lot of jaw pain. Is supposed to be taking bites of food but his jaw hurts when he does.
Jonelle(wife) SCC Rt tonsil, 1 node + with capsular spread Stage 4 10/26/12 Rt tonsillectomy, radical neck dissection Finished tx 1/23/13 30 radiation to both sides, 2 cisplatin PEG still in. Doing Vital Stim. Inside jaw now open to the bone.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Welcome to OCF! Glad you have found this site to help you with your husbands recovery. The worst is over. Recovery can be a long process, for some taking a full 2 years. But for most of us, after 4 - 6 months of recovering we are feeling pretty good. There will still be good days and bad ones but soon the good will far outnumber the bad ones. Keep up the high calories and hydration to help with healing. This needs to be continued for at least the first year after finishing treatments. High protein whey powder can be added to his formula, it helps to speed heeling.
Please let me know if you have questions about HBO. Ive done 125 of them and am getting ready to do another 30. The treatments are very helpful and can help with heeling.
Good luck!!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | |
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