Debbie,

I had a little scare a few weeks ago with swelling of many nodes in my left side neck and behind my left hear. There was no explanation and I had a PET scan just a few days before. I noticed when the weather got real cold overnight, it was very painful. This past week I have had a lot of tingling and itching on the left side. It seems like there is something different week by week but nothing to be alarmed about that I know of.

I did not have any surgery, just radation/chemo. I have heard from several nurses that the Cisplatin affects joints by causing deterioration. I have now developed arthritis in my right hip and am having surgery on my left shoulder tomorrow to remove some arthritic bone on my collarbone. I believe it was from the chemo but don't know how to know for sure.

I hope things are settling into a good routine down in Bama for you.

Ed

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023