I am a 42 year old female diagnosed with base of tongue cancer in February 2005. I have 4 children and 2 grandchildren. The oldest child is from my husbands previous marraige but I count him and family as mine. shortly after diagnoses I started High doses of radiation.
I also went in the net searching for info and found a site that explained most of what i would go through except the sickness from the radiation and chemo!!!! I had to be hospitalized twice because of dehydration,thrush & mucusitious and my blood counts not being on track. I have a peg and porta-cath and still got weak. It was stated that we were using the wrong water for me and it was messing my body up. They wanted me to use saline but when I released they said that I could use my tap water again.
My mom who lives in Pa and I live in NC took a leave of absence from work to help me. She took me to radiation every day and to the chemo. She was a trooper. I got so weak towards the end if it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't be here. She literally kept pushing the nutrients and meds and anything else she could on me.
She had to leave shortly after treatments were over. I didn't want her to go she was my crutch. I went back to work 2 weeks later. I am still tube feeding and have been since my second week of treatment.
I was scheduled for a neck dissection in July but cancelled it. I was trying a herbal supplement for my lymph nodes and cancer plus I was scared. I still had sores in my mouth and now wasn't able to talk. I couldn't talk for about 5 weeks. My family enjoyed this I believe. Snapping my fingers became a joke they would laugh but would be patient in waiting for me to write or try to do sign language like charades. That is one good thing this whole thing has given all of my family is appreciation of each other and patience.
It has been hard. I went back to my ENt and scheduled the surgery. I was fine with everything because at the time I felt that I had to do the surgery because I need to know I did everything I could have to get rid of it. They feel that the cancer is gone from my tongue and want to be sure that the cancer is out of my neck by removing all lymph nodes because they were swollen and possible could have cancer in them and they can't tell until they remove them.
For some reason this past week I have been so emotional, I think it is that I am so scared. i do not want to go back in the hospital but I have to. The ENT doctor who is going to do the surgery feels that I would be able to go home the next day. I don't believe I will and am afraid of all the pain and pain meds I will have to endure. I had a hard time with the pain meds I had when I was first hospitalized.
I found this site yesterday and have been reading all that I could and feel that I need encouragement that it's going to be okay. I want to know what to expect from the neck dissection if possible. My doctor said that it will be one cut from one side to the other to remove all the lymph nodes that are in the mass?? And that I will be stapled with 2 drains. I am not sure when the removal of each will be or if it is painful. All of my doctors have said that I have been through the toughest part and that my body has been put through hell and it will get better in time.
I hope so. since I am typing I now know how hard it is to type what you want to it is so hard to keep on track. Please understand and offer some answers if possible.
Thanks
Love Terry