| | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) |  Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 | Best of luck with everything!
10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2013 Posts: 54 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2013 Posts: 54 |
48 yo female, quit smoking 4yrs ago, light drinker, Stage 2 SCC, Bx3, Dx 8/22/13, surgery 9/11/13. Partial glossectomy, bilateral neck dissection levels 1-4. Tongue reconstruction with flap from forearm. 87 Lymph nodes CLEAR. Tongue margins good at 1 cm. No further treatment planned. Monthly monitoring planned for upcoming year then periodic monitoring for next 4
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 14 Member | | Member
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 14 | We went through the same thing. Hubby was first diagnosed in Nov 2012, he had surgery at the end of Dec 2012. Then a few rough months with chemo/rads, but he worked thru it all (all except 3 weeks after surgery).
My advice (worth about 2 cents) is to review this forum, there is TONs of good advice. The one thing I did as a caregiver was purchase a high powered blender and got the entire family on smoothies.. ya know fresh fruits/veggies & protein powder. Whenever the doc's indicated that he may have a 'symtom', I added an ingredient to my 'mix'.. Nausea - fresh ginger, mouthsores - yogurt, low iron - raisin/prunes... you get the idea.
Stay positive!
Last edited by jo94403; 08-29-2013 11:01 AM.
Joanna - caregiver (spouse) Init bio 11/12, gloss/neck dis 12/12, rad/cisplatin - 6 wks 2/13
"The most important thing is to keep the most important thing, the most important thing."
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 | Your surgery is the same as mine - I was back to work in 3 weeks, less a day.
Today, most can't tell that anything happened in terms of my speech.
Stay strong!
Tina
Diag: Aug. 13/12
T3N0M0
50% + glossectomy and bilateral radical neck dissection, removal of nodes zones I - V
Surgery October 11/12
Chemo/rad on hold due to clear margins and nodes
Sept 21/13 clear CT with anomaly thought to be the artery, being watched closely.
Dec 16/13 - anomaly confirmed artery, all clear
nickname: "get 'r done"
Plans: kick cancer's butt
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2013 Posts: 54 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2013 Posts: 54 | Tina,
That is encouraging. I'm planning for 4-6 weeks off but would LOVE to get back to my students in 3 weeks! Could you talk well after 3 weeks? Teaching requires talking for about 7 hours a day...is that reasonable with a reconstructed tongue with a forearm flap?
48 yo female, quit smoking 4yrs ago, light drinker, Stage 2 SCC, Bx3, Dx 8/22/13, surgery 9/11/13. Partial glossectomy, bilateral neck dissection levels 1-4. Tongue reconstruction with flap from forearm. 87 Lymph nodes CLEAR. Tongue margins good at 1 cm. No further treatment planned. Monthly monitoring planned for upcoming year then periodic monitoring for next 4
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 | My surgery was Oct 11, and I was in court on October 31. As a litigator all I do is talk. My voice was pretty rough (I sounded like the godfather), but I was understandable as long as I didn't try and talk too fast. Everyone is different though.
You have to pay attention to your body. I started back half days, as I got tired easier. I am a firm believer that all the talking I did helped in getting my speech back to normal. Make sure you have speech therapy set up. It was very helpful to get past the sounds and words that I had trouble with as you have to retrain the tongue to do what it did without thinking before.
Tina
Diag: Aug. 13/12
T3N0M0
50% + glossectomy and bilateral radical neck dissection, removal of nodes zones I - V
Surgery October 11/12
Chemo/rad on hold due to clear margins and nodes
Sept 21/13 clear CT with anomaly thought to be the artery, being watched closely.
Dec 16/13 - anomaly confirmed artery, all clear
nickname: "get 'r done"
Plans: kick cancer's butt
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