Here's info on thyroid right from the OCF site:

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/hypothyroidism.htm

"Using statistical models, researchers were able to project that 48% of the patients would experience hypothyroidism five years after treatment, with that number jumping to 67% eight years after treatment. The average time to development of hypothyroidism was 1.4 years, but ranged from .3 to 7.2 years. Importantly, there was no difference in risk for developing hypothyroidism between patients treated with radiation alone or those treated with radiation and chemotherapy. The only factor that could predict whether or not an individual would develop hypothyroidism was race: none of the African-American patients developed hypothyroidism."

I just today dropped off two cases of Osmolite 1.2 and five cases of Novartis 1.2 with the nurses where I had my radiation. They will get them to someone who isn't covered by Medicare or insurance.

I have found that if I mix two tbs of Nestles NesQuik in with the Nutren 2.0 (500 cal/can) it tastes OK, so the six cases I have won't go to waste.

I am not having trouble swallowing solid food so much as I am having trouble moving the food around in my mouth to chew and swallow it -- My free flap new tongue is anchored to the floor of my mouth all the way around the bottom, so it only sort of ripples...

Can't write them off because I don't think I actually paid anything for them (except shipping, come to think of it on the Osmo; it was free from another reformed 'user'), but I will take the mileage as charity expense.


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.