| | Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 1 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 1 | Hi there!
I am 25 yrs old and I haved smoked for 10 years.
My oral health has gone very bad in the past 5 or so years. This has always been a touchy isssue for me. I feel that the state of my oral health has greatly affected my love of life. I hold back alot just because of fear. Im afraid to open my mouth too wide.
My breath is always bad and my teeth are yellow and broken and rotten. Even some of them are black. I am really scared that I am going to get or even may have some kind of mouth cancer allready.
I am too embarassed to tell any one. I am especially afraid to go to a dentist as I havent been for a very long time. I am really embarassed that I havent taken care of my self. I dont know what to do... nobody seems to listen!
My oral health is causing depression like symptoms..
I cant keep a job..I hate leavingt my house even! I need to fix this..
Someone please help me!!!
| | | | | 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 | Come on, listen to yourself. Stop smoking (for a million reasons) and get to a dentist (for a million other reasons) 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: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,357 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,357 Likes: 5 | Don't be afraid of dentists. They have seen it all - 100 times. Get to the dentist, get your oral health taken care of. Life is too short to go around feeling the way you do. Your dentist will tell you if he sees some sign of oral cancer and refer you appropriately.
Try a website called Quitnet to help you quit smoking - that and the nicotine patch worked for me. Between the cost of the dental treatments and your patches you won't have money to smoke but you will feel SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better about yourself and life in general. You CAN do this. Had I believed I COULD quit smoking I would have done it many years before (as bizarre as that sounds). It is doable. Now.......no more worrying - time to get to it!!!
Good luck.
Donna
Donna,69, SCC L Tongue T2N1MO Stg IV 4/04 w/partial gloss;32 radtx; T2N2M0 Stg IV; R tongue-2nd partial gloss w/graft 10/07; 30 radtx/2 cispl 2/08. 3rd Oral Cancer surgery 1/22 - Stage 1. 2022 surgery eliminated swallowing and bottom left jaw. Now a “Tubie for Life”.no food envy - Thank God! Surviving isn't easy!!!! .Proudly Canadian - YES, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IS WONDERFUL! (Not perfect but definitely WONDERFUL)
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | Unfortunately nobody here can help you if you are unwilling to take the steps to help yourself. Let's face it, the only person that can change you is you.
Let me ask you a question...are you afraid of dying? Are you afraid of a painful disfiguring disease that literally will eat your face and steal your life? Because IF you have oral cancer it will kill you, without question or hesitation.
Most of the people who die from this disease didn't have to...sad but true. They waited too long to get their issues checked out, trust me I know. I saw signs of this disease waaay before I was diagnosed and didn't take the time to get it checked out, for some of the same reasons you've listed. Because I waited so long and allowed the disease to grow, it almost took my life, I lived however I'm now disfigured and disabled due to the complications. Had I went in and had it checked out sooner, I'd still have my face, my life as I knew it before.
So..you want help? Help yourself, break the grip of fear and do something about it before it's too late. Oh...and stop f*ckn smoking, if you didn't know it causes cancer.
Eric
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,671 | tkrysta: Just DO IT! You have two choices: You can be alive, or you can be embarrassed. Plus - at this point, you may not even have cancer. Put on your big boy pants and get to the dentist!!
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: Jun 2009 Posts: 875 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 875 | Tkrysta:
AMEN to all the replies you received from other Forum members. Many people have bad teeth because of neglecting them over the years, so yours may have nothing to do with having cancer. A good dentist can guide you on restoring your digity by working on fixing your teeth (most will take monthly payments), and checking for any signs of cancer. From what you wrote, it sounds like your teeth being so bad has nothing to do with cancer, BUT, good dentists always do a cancer check on their patients. GO TO THE DENTIST - your whole outlife on life will change when you start getting the teeth problem resolved. Keep in touch.
julieann
Julieann Nov 2007 SCC on right tonsil following tonsillectomy. Was smoker, QUIT. (Stage IV T2 N2b) 7 weeks radiation one day/wk chemo (carboplatin and 5-FU). Allergic to Taxol; PEG in, lost 30 lbs. TX completed January 2008. PEG out mid- 2008. PET/CT 1/17/2011;2/3/12 NEGATIVE for cancer  | | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Stop the smoking and for sure see a dentist. I had my teeth checked every 4 months and any work that needed done was done. Yep, lost them to this miserable stuff along with other things in this big mouth. But I never lost one bit of love for this life. Drs gave up on me a couple of times, but I never did. I wish you all of the best.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 96 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 96 | I think a lot of people on here have been scared to go see a dr or dentist at one point or another. The key is a great dr or dentist that you feel comfortable saying anything to and not afraid to be emotional around them either. This is all very emotional stuff. The other thing that helps is to take someone else along with you to help with support. And the sooner you get in to see someone the sooner they can help you with your teeth so that you don't feel uncomfortable anymore and are confident. You can do it. Just keep your head up and keep going forward
31 at dx 9/06
SCC T4N0M0 with bone invasion upper maxillary
Surgery 10/06
CT's clear for 2 years
2nd recurrence - Laser surgery 1/09 dx
Tumor board - No surgery to invasive for QOL
35 IMRT 3/30/09 Completed 5/15/09
8 tx Erbitux 3/24/09 Completed 5/6/09
HBO for ORN March & April 2010
Fibula flap 5/10
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,197 Posts196,999 Members13,182 | | Most Online614
Jul 29th, 2024 | | |
|
