| Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 99 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 99 | Just read a story in this week's People Magazine(page#122)on Chef Grant Achatz who is coming out with a book March 3, a memoir of his experience with stage 4 tongue cancer. The article is very interesting as he shares his experience, both the emotional and medical journey that we too are on here. Wondered if anyone else has read it. I will be looking for the book for my husband and I as he and his story sounds inspiring.
CG 2 Emmett,7/09 DX SCC rt tongue. T2N1M0, 1 node, marg neg.4/10 PET/CT clear, 9/10 C back. 10/10 Rad hemi, 2 tmrs mod diff. resec flr of mth. Flap 4 nodes/w/ext cap. 11/10 Peg, CX3 HD, 30 rad. 1/31 & 3/21 6/11/11 - PET/CT "activity" 9/11-all Clear. 12/11 peg out. 2/15 still all clear! 9/14 Prostate cancer treated with pencil beam proton therapy, best radiation experience. Keep it in mind as a treatment option for all tumors that can be seen including head and neck.
| | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | Karen
If you type "Grant Achatz" into the search box on the right of this page, you will get 135 hits. You can then peruse all the posts we have written about Grant. Keep the Faith 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: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 | I just checked - his book is available on Amazon.
Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.
| | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 476 | [quote=Karenj]Just read a story in this week's People Magazine(page#122)on Chef Grant Achatz who is coming out with a book March 3, a memoir of his experience with stage 4 tongue cancer. The article is very interesting as he shares his experience, both the emotional and medical journey that we too are on here. Wondered if anyone else has read it. I will be looking for the book for my husband and I as he and his story sounds inspiring. [/quote]
Oprah had him on her show about 1 1/2 years ago. Very inspiring.
Wanda (47) caregiver to husband John (56) age at diag.(2009) 1-13-09 diagnosed Stage IV BOT SCC (HPV+) 2-12-09 PEG placed, 7-6-09 removed Cisplatin 7 weeks, 7 weeks (35) IMRT 4-15-09 - treatment completed 8-09,12-09-CT Scans clear, 4-10,6-11-PET Scans clear 4-2013 - HBO (30 dives) tooth extraction 10-2019 - tooth extraction, HBO (10 dives) 11-2019 - Left lateral tongue SCC - Stage 2
| | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 66 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 66 | When all this came out, I was initially disturbed that he was being talked up as having some kind of experimental treatment. There is no way to get some experimental treatment in the US, and he had conventional rads and chemo, but not the original surgery that his first doctor recommended to him. Please note I have seen the book, and it is mostly not about oral cancer, but about his restaurant, partnership, dishes, etc. If that interests you, it's an interesting book. If you are looking for survival inspiration, I think there are better out there. If the world of cooking, the restaurant business, etc. is your thing, it's an interesting read from the excerpts that people have sent me.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. | | |
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