Hello to All, I hope this post finds everyone doing well and/or better than before! I would like to ask a special favor. Tomorrow (2/13) is my husband John's birthday. He will be 54. I think it would be really nice if someone could take the time just to jot down a few encouraging words for him or just a simple wish for a "happy birthday". I would then in the evening (EST) print out any correspondence to him and present this as a "gift" if you will from all the fine folks here in this forum. I think this would really help to lift his spirits, since he is still having considerable pain in the neck area and side of face after his surgery. He's home now - and sleeps a great deal of the day away. I would like to make tomorrow as special as I can for him, and I would really appreciate it if you could send a cheery hello! Thank you.
P.S. He likes to be addressed as "Johnny"

Johnny Happy Birthday The good days are coming soon I'm sure. Anyone born in 1949 was Good luck on their side and a lot of staying power. I know It was my year too. Everyday you have someone who loves you is a good day. Take care and enjoy what you can
Diane

Hi Johnny:
Just to wish you a Happy Birthday, and wish for better days ahead. They aren't too far off.
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike D.

Diagnosed 06/2002, w/laryngeal cancer

Johnny,

Here's to a Happy 54th! And wishing you many more! The drs finally got my daughter's head and neck pain under control. I would be glad to share the names and dosages of her meds if it would help. Hang in there. It will get better! Sunny, pain-free days are just ahead!
Happy, Happy Birthday!

Rosie

Johnny,
Happy Birthday! I am one year older than you. What is it about this stuff that it hits us in our 50's? Things will get better for you soon. Hang in there. I know that Donnajean is taking good care of you. Have a special day.

Danny G.

Johnny,Happy Birthday to you. I hope you have many more. Things will look better tomorrow when you are a day older and you have another year to look foward to with the people who love you. Pretty soon the pain will pass and you can be thankful that your a year older and that you spent it with your caregiver that loves you enough to make your special day a little happier and brighter. Bobbie

Hi Johnny, Happy Birthday and just want to let you know that according to Chinese calendar, 1949 is a year of Ox. People born in this year are full of strength and energy. Every effort paid will lead you to the road of success gradually.Keep up your spirit and treasure every second you spend with your family.

Karen from Hong Kong, diagnosed with stage 4 tonsil cancer.

Happy Birthday!!! All of your new cyber family here at the OCF message boards wish you a speedy recovery.

Johnny, Happy Birthday, Man........every Birthday is a special milestone when you`re in the battle!!! Best Wishes from an OLD TROOPER, Packer 66

Happy, Happy Birthday!! My husband Ron and I wish for you a happy and healthy 54th year!
Kathy

Happy Birthday Johnny, the best to you!!!!

Johnny,

Happy Birthday to you!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!Happy Birthday to you!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!
Happy Birthday Dear Johnny, Happy Birthday to you!!!

You are one lucky person...you didn't have to hear me sing this.

Doonajean will give you a big birthday peck on the cheek from me.

Take care and feel better soon,
Dinah

HI JOHNNY, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, On my last two Birthdays I thought how different they are than before when I thought I would still conquer the world , Now I take a step at a time to get better and move on. Small things are a big deal now that I took to be my due before. The biggest thing I noticed after going thru all of this, is what was always right in front of me, my husband of 36 years, my children, in 6 weeks my first grandchild, and a lot of good people like you all out there who give good wishes and prayers on our big days for surgery, starting radiation, or second opinions, I have a mental list at night that I go thru and I am sure most of the people who posted here have one too. You are on it, I am sure. Have a very good day and think positive thoughts!

Hi Johnny,

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and a speedy recovery.

Happy Birtday Johnny,

My husband who has been in remission since August wish you a happy birtday and a good, healthy year.LM

Happy Birthday Johnny,

My husband who has been in remission since August wish you a happy birtday and a good, healthy year.LM

Johnny,
Happy Birthday. I am wishing you a peaceful birthday and I am sending positive thoughts your way.
Take Care.
Rosalie

Dear Friends.....A great big THANK YOU to all of you for your kind words and birthday wishes to my husband, Johnny! It was quite a wonderful surprise, and he was deeply touched.....I know he appreciated your sentiments more than any other gift he received today. Cake was a little hard (and too sweet) for him to eat today, but these greetings you sent to him really meant a lot. He smiled and said to let each of you know that you are all in his thoughts and he wishes everyone all the best for good health and happiness now and in the years to come. I cannot thank you enough for doing this - it meant so much to both of us. Hope you are all doing well. And Rosie - I am glad to hear that Heather's pain is finally under control...what a relief for both of you I'm sure! And yes...I would like to know what pain meds the docs gave her - perhaps my husband can bring it up with his doctor to see if it might help him too. Thanks again to all of you, it really cheered him up and made this day extra special!

DonnaJean,

I'm glad Johnny had a nice birthday. Rest assured his 55th will be much, much better! 40 mgs of Oxycontin timed release tablets every 12 hours worked for Heather. She had a very hard time swallowing them, though, so the doc put her on the liquid Oxycodone, 30 - 40 mgs every 4 - 6 hours. Sometimes she needs it in 3 1/2 hrs, but sometimes she gets 5 hrs from a dose.

This can be very addictive, so some of her docs were reluctant to give her such a high dose, but the surgeon said the #1 priority was to control the pain so she could get on with the healing. We will deal with the possible addiction later. He doesn't think it will be much of a problem.

He also prescribed Vioxx because she has a really bad case of Trismus (lockjaw). As long as John can open his mouth okay, it probably wouldn't be recommended for him. It's for the joint pain in her jaw.

Everybody is different and perhaps he needs a different pain med, but the important thing is to make sure they prescribe a high enough dose. When I mentioned what Heather had been taking before, several people here told me to push the docs to get her stronger medicine. I urge you to do the same. Johnny doesn't have to be in pain. The doctors can do something about it, but you have to be assertive and insistent.

Good luck,
Rosie

Thanks Rosie for the info. on the liquid Oxycodone - Johnny said he will ask the doc this week about getting that when he goes for his follow-up appt. this week. I hope heather is doing better and that this painkiller is doing wonders for her. Give her our best regards and tell her to hang in there - she's young and can definitely beat this thing!

Hi Donnajean
Can I send Johnny a belated Happy Birthday, as i have'nt managed to get onto the site for a while.
Hope he had not too bad a day, Go Johnny you can do it.

Hi Cazz, Of course you can send a belated B'day message! I gave Johnny your regards - all of the well wishes by you and everyone here has really helped to boost his morale. I thank you and everyone for your kindness. He had a pretty good day overall. Cake was a bit too sweet and difficult to eat, but he did enjoy some ice cream! Thanks again and I hope all is going well for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Donnajean,
A belated Happy Birthday to Johnny. I celebrated my birthday earlier this month and was packing to move to a new house. I just got my computer unpacked and hooked up today. I was on liquid percocet after my operation. Can't remember the dosage etc. at this time. After two scrips they gave me pills even though I was unable to swallow. Crushed them and put them in applesauce. Tell the big guy to hang in there, it does get better as time goes on.

Take care.

Anne.

Thanks Anne, Sounds like you have been quite busy with the move to a new house! Congrats on that! Anyways - I'll tell John "happy birthday" from you. John has a follow-up appt. tomorrow to hopefully get that drainage tube out (from the surgery) and perhaps the stitches too. He's going to look into getting some different painkillers. Rosie said her daughter has been helped by liquid oxycodone - so he's going to ask about that. He takes oxycodone now - but I didn't know they had that in "liquid" form. I'll let you know what the doc prescribed, if anything different. Hope all is going well for you. Take care and enjoy the new digs!

Hi, After the last operation I had the pain in my arm was more than I have had with my other surgerys. I usually only take Tylenol with Codine after the hospital stay and cut off of morphine pump. I took oxycotin in the hospital once and it made me VERY blurry, I did not care for it, but when I took Oxycodone(Oxydose) I thought it was a great back up or break thru pain med.We got it in liquid because I was to have NO oral. There was a problem about the liquid as it was condensed the Pharmacy had to call MD to be sure I could have that much. We mixed it with water , dose is 0.25ml.It will make you sleep a lot, unless that is just me!

Hi again, Johnny had his doctors appt. today for a follow-up, and good news.......the doctor said that the pathology report shows that there is no cancer remaining at this point!! Needless to say I am sooooo happy about that!! The doc asked John to move his arm up as high as he could, and he unfortunately could not lift it up that high without significant pain, so the doc told him to call and make an appt. for physical therapy for him to do for awhile. He also has to come back in about a month for another follow-up exam. They finally took the stitches (staples) out of his neck from the modified neck dissection surgery, and my husband said that didn't hurt at all - but when it came time to take the drainage tubes out....Whoa!....He practically lost it there! He said it was extremely painful, and all evening so far he has been saying where they took the tubes out, it feels like someone keeps poking him with sharp "pencils". The doc said he could even go swimming tonight if he wanted to - but he doesn't feel up to it with the shooting pain in his chest wall. The nurse told him not to put anymore Bacitracin on the neck scar, since he is developing "acne" there. (Apparently this is a common problem with Bacitracin, according to the nurse who was assisting the doctor). But so far - everything looks good, and this helps both of us to breathe a little easier - at least until the next doctor's appointment. As far as the pain meds - the doctor just wrote him another script for Oxycontin and told him to keep taking the Oxycodone tabs, if needed. He did not even write another script for the liquid Morphine - he said my husband "didn't need it". John was a bit disappointed in that regard - because the trio of pain meds, did seem to help somewhat - now he has to rely on just the two "Oxy's". I hope he can manage on that, but if not - we'll just have to talk to the doc again and see what happens.

The Oxydose makes Heather sleep a lot, too. And between the government regulations and insurance co crap, it has been a bit of a pain to get. The pharmacy has to call the dr, then the dr has to call the insurance co for approval. One advantage to the tablets is that they are time-released and last up to 12 hours. The liquid only lasts 4-6 hours. As long as Johnny can swallow, I would recommend the time-release tablets over the liquid. I have to get up twice through the night to give Heather the liquid. The tablets got her through the night pretty well. She just can't swallow them anymore, so she has to have the liquid.

As far as being "blurry", Heather had that trouble with the Duralgesic patch. I guess it just goes to show that everyone is different. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out which med is the best for each person. Just so the dr gets Johnny on something that works for him.

Rosie