| | Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 939 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) |  "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 939 | Super Amy,
You are finding that you have more strength than you possibly know and you can conquer this because you know it is what you have to do.
Congrats...now keep fighting, Deb
Deb..caregiver to husband, age 63 at diagnosis, former smoker who quit in 1997.
DIAGNOSIS: 6/26/07 SCC right tonsil/BOT T4N0M0
TREATMENT START: 8/9/07 cisplatin/taxol X 7..IMRT twice daily X 31.5.
TREATMENT END: 10/1/07
PEG OUT: 1/08
PORT OUT: 4/09
FOLLOWUP: Now only annual exams. ALL CLEAR!
Passed away 1/7/17 RIP Bill
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 | Way to go!!!! Huge accomplishment be proud and yeah you deserve to reward yourself with whatever makes you happiest.....I/we all are soooo proud...so what's the secret? I would really like to know?!!!
Dianne..treatment at cc at Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario...insulin dependant, Surgery Sept 8/08 Tracheotomy,composite resection and bilateral neck dissection, left radial forearm free flap... T2N0 squamous cell carcinoma. No radiation A little over 2 yrs clear YAY
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 148 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 148 |
Bill . . . SCC - originated in right tonsil, drifted into neck ( 28 lymph nodes removed - one positive ). Radical neck dissection in September 07, completed 34 radiation tx on January 4, 2008. Used Peg. Non smoker, 61, good shape, no previous health issues. Second year PET scan - "all clear".
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 130 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 130 | The secert was. I took 1mg Ativan and the techs already had the eyes and the nose cut out of the mask when I got there. I laid there with my eye closed and never once panicked. Breathed easy the whole time. The techs also took me next door to get a good look at the room that the radiation is done.
40 yr old. Stage IV SCC found left tonsil. PET/CT shows cancer on base of tongue, floor of mouth, lymph nodes on both sides. HPV 16 pos. 6 weeks of cisplatin, 43 days of radiation. 73gy on each side.
ND March 2, 2009
reoccurance dx'd Aug 19, 2009
| | | | | Joined: May 2008 Posts: 219 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 219 |
SCC left tonsil, tonsillectomy with additional tissue removed 06/10/08, a few teeth on top left side removed 09/05/08,recurrence before treatment started at BOT and tonsil area, 35 IMRT treatments began 10/15/08, and Cisplatin IV (began10/16/08) weekly for duration of radiation.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 | Amy,
I saw in your profile that you enjoy gardening, and you live in Florida. Me too, and me too. When I'm really tense, afraid, sad, or any other not so great emotion, I find it calming and "real" to get out into the dirt. Even when I'm not physically strong, I can still sit and pull weeds or fuss around my plants and shrubs. It's very therapeutic for me and helps me put things into perspective. The weather is usually cooperative and there's always something that you can find to do.
Just a thought,
Lani
SCC part glossectomy 3/06, recur 8/06 glossectomy, floor of mouth, part of jaw removed, RT/chemo thru 10/12/06, PET clear 7/08
"A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn"
Passed away 12/14/08
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | Amy, rather than have a lone ENT deal with it, were I you I'd be talking to Shands.
The cancer centers bring a lot more to your case than a lone practitioner -- Besides surgical followup, they bring both medical and radiological oncologists (which in this case you already have), dieticians, swallowing/speech therapists, lymphedema therapists, etc., plus your case is reviewed by a Tumor Board consisting of a number of experts, not just one person's opinions.
Finally, and very importantly, they will have seen a far larger number of oral cancer cases than a lone practitioner!
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 130 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | OP Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 130 | Pete
Thats a great idea! for someone else. For my life it will not work. I live hundreds of miles from Shands. I have four children that need as much of there life to remain normal as possible. I have a husband, he has a job. I would like him to have it when this is all over. I have 2 ENTs one is a "lone practitioner" that refered me to the Head and Neck Cancer guy. While I live in the woods, I do have access to the medical community, sometimes they are just not in the same building, that's all. My Dr.s and nurse's have given me their personal cell numbers, I'm not a big town girl but I don't think you get that in Gainsville or Jax.
40 yr old. Stage IV SCC found left tonsil. PET/CT shows cancer on base of tongue, floor of mouth, lymph nodes on both sides. HPV 16 pos. 6 weeks of cisplatin, 43 days of radiation. 73gy on each side.
ND March 2, 2009
reoccurance dx'd Aug 19, 2009
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 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: 6 | Very good job Amy !!!!
I knew you had it in you, keep up the good work.
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: Nov 2007 Posts: 212 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 212 | Amy,
You must be incredibly proud of yourself. Dealing with the diagnosis is stressful in and of it's self, but conquering the fear of the mask on top of it well that's extraordinary. You go!!!
Susan
Cancer of Tongue, SCC early Stage 1, Dx 3/13/07, partial glossectomy 4/14/07 found no residual carcinoma and a granular cell tumor with pseudo epitheliomatous hyperplasia.
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