| Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 157 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 157 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZAm0kwcEiEUPDATE! Sorry again for either slurring or sounding numb again, I took some relxing stuff before the trip to the doc to stay calm. But I know we officially start chemo Nov. 2 and Radiation possibly next week or Nov. 1 I really cant remember which one at the moment, my mom has all the dates. @ CHARM- I had I guess what they call a partial glossectomy of the left lateral tongue and neck dissection on the same side. Removed 49 nodes and 2 were positive. Just now at the last leg we hope... Your friend, Nathan P.S.-I turned my hat back around charm, I heard it makes you think backwards so we will think forward : )
Last edited by Nate82; 10-20-2010 11:21 AM.
SCC left lateral tongue, left neck dissection. 2 nodes positive. 3 All Clear then ITS BACK 8/23/11 Shows 1cm in tongue in CT SCAN, Radial Free Arm Flap with Radical Neck Dissection 9/20/11 , All Nodes Negative, But Tongue Tumor Poorly Differentiated. Awaiting next step in treatment on 10/5/11... RIP Nate 7/28/12
| | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 | Wow, Nathan, you look great and your speech is very clear! Count me as one of your supporters. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow.
Anita
Anita (68) CG to husband, Clark, 79, DX SCC 11/07, T4N0Mx, PEG 1/08, RAD, post rad infection 3/08, HBOT 40 dives, ORN, Surg 11/09 mandibulectomy w/fibular graft. Plastic Surg 4/10, 12/10, 3/11, 10/11, 4/12, 10/12. All PETS clear, PEG out 1/11. 6/11 non union jaw fracture Fractured jaw w/surgery 7/14 Aspiration pneumonia 7/21, 10/22 PEG 7/21 Botox injections
| | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Nathan I like the new look. But then I've always been a Woody Woodpecker fan. Sorry to hear you are HPV negative as it turns out that HPV positive cancers are usually easier to treat. You may want to ask you doctors about what HPV test they used as my CCC first told me I was negative but a more sensitive test showed me positive. Here's a link to an HPV thread here, jump to page 4 for discussion of HPV tests HPV =OCF posts Finally, in your list of meds, I did not hear any pain pills. You want to be sure to get them BEFORE TX starts. Most of us started off on Percocet and went up to Fentanyl (china doll on the street) patches. I found it much easier to get my narcotic prescriptions filled at the hospital instead of the local pharmacy where they acted like I was a drug addict instead of a Stage IV cancer patient. I am amazed at how clear your speech is after a partial glossectomy, if that is any indication of how you recover, you could very well be one of the few here who sail right through this treatment. I hope so 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: 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 | Nathan,
Eat your favorite stuff until you can't eat any more.
Keep up the good attitude.
Usually, at least it used to be the norm is to have your first chemo the same am before your first rad. my first day started at 7am in the chemo dept and I left Moffitt's rad dept at 5:30pm. Tack on an hour drive each way and both my wife and I were mentally exhausted to say the least.
Be prepared to feel trapped when you are "strapped" down to the table the first time with your mask. I wasn't expecting it and I could feel my heart beating for a few minutes. Some have to take a calming pill to get through each Tx so just be prepared.
I hope you have already started using the fluoride trays. If not please get them ASAP. I still use mine and I hope never to have any post Tx teeth problems.
If you are going to feel the effects of the combined chemo and rad don't be surprised if they don't start until after the 2nd bag of chemo (assuming you are getting the 3 big bags vs the 6 smaller ones) or about your 4th week of rad. You may feel the nasty effects sooner or never but most of us fall into that scenario I just mentioned.
Oh and tell someone where that cig is and let them get rid of it. Bluntly speaking we have NEVER (as in NEVER EVER NEVER) had someone on this site during my 4 plus years and perhaps thousands of patients that smoked either during or post Tx to live. If you want I will share a post written by the wife of a patient who wouldn't quit who described his death in a way that will make you cringe and cry at the same time.
Good luck and we will be there with you forever.
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: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 701 Likes: 1 | Nathan,
Just thought of something--I think your holding on to that one cigarette is a metaphor for wanting to have your life back to the way it was before cancer. Flush that thing down the toilet! Your life is now on a different course. You can't hold onto the past. It's a myth, and none of us can do that. All the best as you move forward.
Anita
Anita (68) CG to husband, Clark, 79, DX SCC 11/07, T4N0Mx, PEG 1/08, RAD, post rad infection 3/08, HBOT 40 dives, ORN, Surg 11/09 mandibulectomy w/fibular graft. Plastic Surg 4/10, 12/10, 3/11, 10/11, 4/12, 10/12. All PETS clear, PEG out 1/11. 6/11 non union jaw fracture Fractured jaw w/surgery 7/14 Aspiration pneumonia 7/21, 10/22 PEG 7/21 Botox injections
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 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: 7 | Nate, your video was great. Your speech is very very good. If you hadnt told us what you went thru I would never have believed it.
Technology is amazing. Hope you keep the video blog going. 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: 681 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 681 | Nate, I have been following your journey and praying for you. Now that yoy have a date for the rad and chemo I hope you are more hopeful of a good recovery. Your videos are a wonderful way for you to cope and hopefully will encourage others to be more careful in how they live their lives. As a soccer player who can play without time outs you certainly have developed a lot of stamina. May it carry you through to a complete recovery. You know the value of a team and can rely on not only your doctor teammates but also on your OCF fans who are cheering you on.
SCC stage II Partial mandibulectomy w. neck dissection- July 2005. Renal cancer w. partial nephrectomy-Jan 2004. Breast cancer discovered in routine mammogram. Successful lumpectomy, sentinal nodes clear, RT only-2008 Reconstruction of mandible w fibula free flap-Jan 09. TORS removal of begnin pappiloma from esophagus-2010. Masectomy,rt breast 2013. Support OCF
| | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | Another great video, Nate! Thanks for sharing your progress. I know it's going to help a lot of people. Please, please, please, as Davidcpa suggests, have someone get rid of that last cigarette. I can still remember so well the post he refers to by the wife of a smoker who died. It really did make me cringe and cry big tears. You can substitute other stuff like eat all your favorite foods or do something else you enjoy. I've also heard of the "SSS" system of quitting smoking - it's whenever you feel like smoking, you just substitute sex instead. I'm just saying, whatever works!
Anne-Marie CG to son, Paul (age 33, non-smoker) SCC Stage 2, Surgery 9/21/06, 1/6 tongue Rt.side removed, +48 lymph nodes neck. IMRTx28 completed 12/19/06. CT scan 7/8/10 Cancer-free! ("spot" on lung from scar tissue related to Pneumonia.)
| | | | Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 157 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 157 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzO-0i9ifG4Updated!!! Just remember, this is all out of my element and as raw as can be. I do not believe in editing or a second take, what ya see is what ya get. What comes out of me is me, I hope you enjoy and hopefully I can continue this as long as possible if not all the way through treatment even if talking gets difficult and videos get shorter. Thanks Friends! Your Buddy, Nathan Become the fuse, behold the power of redemption!
SCC left lateral tongue, left neck dissection. 2 nodes positive. 3 All Clear then ITS BACK 8/23/11 Shows 1cm in tongue in CT SCAN, Radial Free Arm Flap with Radical Neck Dissection 9/20/11 , All Nodes Negative, But Tongue Tumor Poorly Differentiated. Awaiting next step in treatment on 10/5/11... RIP Nate 7/28/12
| | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 383 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 383 | Nathan: Great Stuff (Hate to say it but it's real so your making the best of it with your commentary). The mask makes great halloween decor, keep it, you'll have it for next Halloween! I have 2. Due to weight loss was blessed with a second one so I can double my fun this time of year. Great to hear you flushed that last "Hanger on." I've seen some become road kill (If you know what I mean, one night after driving 4 hours by myself to spend a half hour with my Brother and share my news of a different life with him face to face). Great concert, eh? Keep enjoying those things. They help keep you mobile and thinking forward. David is right about the table. I took a trial run and did great, then the first "Real deal day" I lost it going in and had to come out. I took a deep breath, said this was part of the deal, strapped down & went back in, and never missed another beat for 35 treatments. YOU WILL DO THIS, AND BE A WINNER. It's already written. If the speech gets difficult make silent movies (My Wife and Kids bought me a wipe off board) but keep the vids coming my friend! Steve
SCC right side BOT/FOM; DX 1-25-06; Neck dissection/25% of tongue removed 2-17-06. Stage 2 Recurrence 7-06: IMRTX35 & 3X Cisplatin ended 10-18-06. Tumor found 03/18/13; Partial Glossectomy 03/28/13 left lateral tongue. Nov. 2014; headaches,lump on left side of throat. Radical Neck Dissection 12-17-14; Tumor into nerves/jugular; Surgery successful, IMRTX30 & 7X Erbotux. Scan 06-03-15; NED! 06-02-16; Mets to left Humerus bone and lesion on lungs-here We go again! Never, Ever Give Up!
**** PASSED AWAY 10/8/16 ****
| | |
Forums23 Topics18,209 Posts197,040 Members13,222 | Most Online614 Jul 29th, 2024 | | | |