| | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | OP  Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Hi Everyone,
My husband Ron has been cancer free for 5 year's. I was starting to relax and think OK, this is good, what are the odds the beast will come back? Well a spot in his throat has been bothering him for the past couple of months. To be on the safe side he went in today to have it checked out. The doctor at UCLA is concerned so they are going to do a biopsy in January....needless to say Ron is scared....I can hear it in his voice. My stomach is in knots right now too.
Ron asked the doctor if it is cancer can it be removed with no problem and the doctor said yes, which is good. I always thought that if you made it to this point you are pretty much home free...I guess not. I tried to reassure him that it isn't cancer until they say it is and I'm praying it isn't. I've just realized that with this type of cancer you've always got to be on guard. If it has come back at least they caught it early....thanks for letting me vent.
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | | 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 | Why do they have to wait until Jan????
Do they not understand the mental process we go through? Well they SHOULD. They are supposed to understand what we go through. I would tell them NO I WANT IT DONE ASAP!!!
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: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Thanks David, I will let Ron know and see if he can have it moved up. They have scheduled blood work on 12/28/09 and then the biopsy is scheduled for 1/8/10. My thoughts were....it must not be that urgent or they would have made the appointments asap. But you are absolutely right. As always, thank you so much for your help.
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Shelley
I have mixed feelings about moving up the biopsy. When a tongue "lump" appeared in less than year after TX, it was November. My ENT was concerned but we decided to schedule a MRI for January 2nd so I could go through the Holidays still celebrating being "cancer free". I am so very glad now that I did. The one month delay had no real negative impact on treating my recurrence and I had the most wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas in a very long time even though I was fooling myself. Like Lily Tomlin says:
[quote]
Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it.[/quote] Just a different point of view.
charm
65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Thanks Charm. For Ron's piece of mind we were able to have the biopsy moved up to December 22nd.He's having blood work done tomorrow. Even though it's right before Christmas, the way Ron is, he will feel better mentally knowing it has been done. I still keep thinking it must be something other than cancer. Ron is always diligent about checking things out when his body (especially his throat) doesn't feel right. So if it is a recurrence, he caught it early. I will let you know what happens.
Thanks again,
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Ron had blood work done last Thursday and it came back showing his sodium levels are too low. We don't know if it was an error so he had more blood work done Saturday morning. At this point we don't know if the surgery will have to be postponed or not. I looked up "low sodium" and it appears to have to do with his electrolites. Because of his dry throat, he does drink a lot of water and because of that, he urinates a lot. Does anyone have any knowledge and/or suggestions on what he can do? He will talk to the Doctor later this afternoon, but wanted to post this to all of you folks too. Any thoughts you can give would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 100 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 100 | Hello Shelley, looks like you have probably already talked to the doctor. Not sure if your husband has a PEG but when my wifes sodium was low her doctor suggested flushing her PEG after eating with salt water and adding in some Gatorade to drink instead of just plain water.
Tom-CG to wife, Pam 46@dx
Stage IV Tongue Cancer T2N2C
Dx 6/08, Surgery 7/08, 3 nodes positive
9/08 33IMRT/7Carbo/Taxol
4/09 node biopsy positive, mets to lungs/stomach
5/09 Cisplatin or Cis/Alimta study
6/09 Cis/Taxotere
9/09 Taxotere
1/10 Xeloda
3/10 Cetuximab weekly
6/29/10 lost battle
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Hi Everyone,
Ron got his sodium levels up (drinking lots of V8 Juice and Gatorade) so they were able to do the procedure yesterday. The Doctor came to see me after the surgery and said the lesion was not ominous like he originally thought. They did the biopsy to be on the safe side, but he was cautiously confident it's not serious. Thinks it may be an infection so they sent him home with antibiotics. We are both so relieved! That was one of the longest days of my life. It's going to be a merrier Christmas around our home this year.
Thanks again,
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 64 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 64 | Congratulations on the good news. Your Christmas will definatley be merrier with that load off your shoulders. Here's hoping the New Year brings you both continued good health and happiness.
Kelley
SCC tonsil(left) with contralateral mets. Modified right neck disection August, 2002. 33 rads(62 gy)both sides of neck and 3 cycles cisplatin completed October 25, 2002. 34 yo at time of diagnosis
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 307 | Thank you so much Kelly! All the best to you too.
Shelley
Caregiver to husband Ron. Throat Cancer. Finished 35 radiation treatments on 11/21/04. 8/2/11 small lesion on lower gum, laser Procedure to remove. 3/6/12 Doc. removed another lesion on outside of his neck. Did a skin graft from his chest to replace the skin on his neck. Went to Heaven on 6/24/12.
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