Hello, again. I'm Edd. 61 year old retired physcian assistant with squamous cell ca base of thr tongue with mets. Just had a neck disection 12 days ago and am now facing rads and chemo both at the same time. I don't look forward to this at all. Surgery went well as could be expected. I still feel like there is a rock in my throat, when I swallow. In my wisdom I waited 2 years to accept the fact I had symptoms, now will probably pay the price.
Wife has new diag. of breast ca with pos nodes, has had surgery and started chemo. She is doing Very well.
I have been enjoying the good fight with the financial people, I guess it keeps me going.

Hi Edd: I'm so sorry to hear about your and your wife's dx. How horrible for you both to have this horrific disease at the same time. I know that you are dreading the rad and chemo, but my husband just completed both in March and he is doing quite well. Although he thinks his progress and return to normal should be much faster.....he is doing really great. Back to work part-time and all! It is a really tough thing to go thru, but YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! Please try and stay positive. The people on this forum are really great. They answer questions for me all the time and are so helpful, so I'm sure you will be glad you found this site too! Stay positive and look forward....you are strong and you CAN DO THIS! Never doubt your inner-self! Keep us all posted on your progress, okay?

Stay strong,
Michelle G.

Thanks, Michelle. Wife and I both have Drs. Apt. today. An alday tripe to town.
I find this web site a little hard to find myself in. Any tips? Edd

Boy, I don't know which is worse, my typing or spelling! Edd

edd
Sorry you and your wife are going thru this, but then again you will know 1st hand what one another are going thru 1st hand. Question what kind of symptoms did you have. I had tongue and mets also, but never recognized any symptoms. Hang in there I am now 4 years out and doing great. It's not easy but it's doable!

Hey Edd... I'm exactly seven days out from my neck dissection (although I've already been thru the 35 days of radiation and weekly chemo) I can well identify that "rock in throat" feeling. Right now I just concentrate on swallowing water and getting the four pills I need to manage daily down and juice. May swallowing get easier for us both. I don't know if it's due to the breathing tube being in my throat or the place they took the biopsies.

Jen

Jen,

It may well be the breathing tube. I had the same horrible feeling in my throat for awhile after the surgery, and it was definitely the result of the breathing tube. Before that, I had never imagined that swallowing could be so painful, but thankfully it didn't take too long to heal.

Cathy

Thanks all for your replys. To answer Joans question; I had a chronic sputum problem (that bothered my wife more than me)for about 3 months, but had a small lump that I ignored for 2 years!
Doc today says the mets confined to 1 node (good)but the tumor at base of tongue very large and advanced , but not across midline! I don't look forward to radiation, starts next week, but am going to remain a tough ol bird. Brainstroker, yours and mine sound very similar. How old are you?, I'm 62. Are you an X smoker like me? Edd

Hi Edd: not sure of any tips on getting around the site.......it IS difficult and I still fumble quite a bit. I hope you and your wife's appts this wk went well....you will have to let me know. My husband Dan is 59, dx'd at 58. He had a BOT tumor like you.....stage 4. YOU CAN and will get thru the radiation. It is not pleasant, but you CAN do it. The think mucous was the worst for Dan. Don't wait as long as he did to get a suction machine. Dan's doc wrote an Rx for one and the insurance covered it. It sure helped him out so much. Make sure you have plenty of tissues. Are you having chemo too? What about a feeding tube? Dan really dreaded the tube, but in the long run was grateful for it. He finished his tx's March 2, and is going to have the feeding tube removed very soon.......eating is slow, but he is doing very well! You and/or your wife can email me direct if you have questions and prefer to do so. I'll help if I can. I don't post here often, but it is such a valuable resource to obtain information. The folks are VERY helpful, and also VERY opinionated! Let us know how things are going!

Michelle

Hello Edd
Well Bless your heart , you are having a double whammy aren`t you.
Probably the best place for you right now is the "Currently in treatment " link. Go back and research past posts , whatever problems you are having , someone has likely addressed them there.
Or if if you are having a specific issue , just ask us. We will help and encourage any way we can.
Best wishes to you nad your wife.
Marica