| | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP  Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 | Something was bothering me in my throat. Doesn't hurt, but it felt like I didn't swallow some food well. Like sometimnes when I eat something crunchy and it gets stuck on the back of my tongue. Except all I ate today was yogurt smoothie and a banana. So I got home and looked. There are white spots all over the right side of my throat. That's the bad side. It looks so frighteningly familiar to what my tongue SCC looiked like, except it's all over half of my throat. I emailed my ENT who saw me just two days ago and said everything looked absolutely fine. But who knows, maybe htese things become visible overnight. I am totally frantic, nauseous and shaking. If it's back, it's pretty much the end. I got the max radiation dose already. A year since surgery. Not even a year since the treatment ended.
I hope he can see me tomorrow.
38 yo@dx, female, non-smoker, non-drinker, SCC right lateral tongue. T2N2aMx stage IVa; 1/20/09 bilateral neck dissection, hemiglossectomy, micromets in 2 right nodes, left all clear. 33xIMRT + 3 cisplatins. Tx completed 5/08/09. PET scan 7/29/09 clear, 5/26/10 clear, chest x-ray 5/23/11 clear
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | Jenka,
try scraping a bit off. If it comes off it is most likely a fungal infection, and they do grow overnight.
I had this, but it cleared up before I was able to get to the doctor and it was scraping off so I knew I was ok.
Kelly
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: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 | Kelly, it does look like a crazy thrush. And I was all clear at the dentist's on Friday and at ENT surgeon's on Monday, just two days ago, abd considering my daily paranoid mouth check, I'm fairly confident it wasn't there two days ago. I'm afraid to scrape it off though.
I hope you are right. It's exhausting to live with constant fear.
38 yo@dx, female, non-smoker, non-drinker, SCC right lateral tongue. T2N2aMx stage IVa; 1/20/09 bilateral neck dissection, hemiglossectomy, micromets in 2 right nodes, left all clear. 33xIMRT + 3 cisplatins. Tx completed 5/08/09. PET scan 7/29/09 clear, 5/26/10 clear, chest x-ray 5/23/11 clear
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | Jenka,
If you scrape it and it does not come off your fear/anxiety level remains about the same as it is now until you can see the doctor.
If you scrape it and it does come off, your fear/anxiety level goes to about zero.
Personaly I'd give it a jab. I don't think I could wait, but thats me.
kelly
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: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Jenka,
Thrush is usually very painful and will only be cured by Diflucan. I've had it twice, ugh and it's another potential gift of our permanent side effect of dry mouth.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 | Called my ENT, he said try not to worry and gargle with salt water, and let him know what happens after a few days. I am very compliant, and I trust him unconditionally.
I tried to scrape it off. It isn't coming off, but I have no idea how hard I should try. I googled thrush, and it does seem like we all are good candiates for it. 'cept mine doesn't hurt at all.
Off to gargle.
38 yo@dx, female, non-smoker, non-drinker, SCC right lateral tongue. T2N2aMx stage IVa; 1/20/09 bilateral neck dissection, hemiglossectomy, micromets in 2 right nodes, left all clear. 33xIMRT + 3 cisplatins. Tx completed 5/08/09. PET scan 7/29/09 clear, 5/26/10 clear, chest x-ray 5/23/11 clear
| | | | | 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 | Hope everything turns out ok for you. Thrush is very sneaky and can come out of nowhere. I once saw my ENT in the morning and about 3 hours later my mouth started to tingle. By the time I was able to check it out, my mouth was covered with it. My doc immediately called in the prescription for thrush meds and by nighttime I felt better.
Please dont worry that you are having a recurrance. We all automatically think the worst. Im living proof that there are treatments that can work after having chemo/rediaiton. Ive had cancer 2 more times after my first round was treated with those.
Best of luck with your mouth rinses.
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  | | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 109 | Good to hear from you, Christine. You are amazing, and you are an incredible source of courage and inspiration. Not meaning to take any courage thunder away from David.
38 yo@dx, female, non-smoker, non-drinker, SCC right lateral tongue. T2N2aMx stage IVa; 1/20/09 bilateral neck dissection, hemiglossectomy, micromets in 2 right nodes, left all clear. 33xIMRT + 3 cisplatins. Tx completed 5/08/09. PET scan 7/29/09 clear, 5/26/10 clear, chest x-ray 5/23/11 clear
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