| | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP  Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 | Everyone,
I have finished day three. Day one consisted of clinical trial testing, EKG and lots of blood draws. Pretty easy. Radiation was fast and easy. Fell asleep a couple of times. Day one also included chemo and being admitted over night.
Day two at around 1 am the effects of the chemo took hold and nausea set in. The nurses kept me pumped full of nausea medicine and fluids. Stomach was upset but I never vomited which was good. I ordered breakfast and had dry Cheerios along with plain oatmeal. Helped tremendously. Radiation went fine with no issues. I was still having some nausea issues so I stayed until 3:30 p.m. Before being discharged. Still had nausea issues but was able to eat some fruit and more cereal.
Day three I am feeling better. Slight nausea at times. Food still not appealing but I was able to eat more cereal, oatmeal, and drink some ensure. Walked back to my lodging after treatment. Walk felt good. Hopefully the weather will hold out and I can do it more.
It looks like the chemo is going to be the worse for me with the nausea. I will just have to feel it out and find which foods are going to be more appealing.
Only 30 to go 2 more chemo yeah!
Curt
Age 43, nonsmoking, social drinker
Left tonsil cancer
SCC HPV+16
Stage IV
tonsillectomy, robotic radical tonsillectomy and neck dissection
4 of the nodes removed had cancer. 2 had extra capsular spread.
3x cisplatin 33x rad 11/18/13
Completed treatment 01/08/14
| | | | | 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 | Thank you for the update. Keep knocking those days out. I kept a calendar, and X each day. Sometime they cut out the last chemo, depending on your blood levels, and hope they give you something for tje nausea, that works. Don't forget hydration to flush the kidneys, ask for IV infusion, if needed.
Keep up the good work.
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 2012 Posts: 214 Likes: 1 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 214 Likes: 1 | Hang in there Curt, its a long road, but its still one day at a time. Eating going to be an issue, it was for most, if not all of us. For me eating was just part of the treatment, just like rads, chemo, and meds. Eat and drink all day long. Keep a bottle of water with you and constantly sip it. Hydration is the best way to deal with cisplatin. Stay ahead of it because once you get behind, drinking becomes more difficult.
Hockey Dad
43, No smoke, Small BOT HPV+16
8/30/12 Biopsy found SCC in Lymph node (removed)
9/19 DX 4a T1N2aM0
10/1 TX 2x Cisplatin 35 IMRT 70 gry (Done 11/15)
PEG tube in 11/7. Out 1/4, Back at work 2/4/13
PET 2/13 Clear, 10/16 all Scopes Clear, 4/14 Chest X-ray Clear, 5/14 Abdominal ultrasound Clear, 8 yrs clean!!!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,409 | Ditto to the above, Curt. You're very courageous and it's a tough haul but I know you'll do it!
David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 15 years all clear in 6/24 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 | Day 4 done and still feel nauseated. I don't know how some of you continued to work. This evening the nausea seems to be tapering some so maybe tomorrow will be better. The good news is that I am one day closer to beating cancer!!!
Curt
Age 43, nonsmoking, social drinker
Left tonsil cancer
SCC HPV+16
Stage IV
tonsillectomy, robotic radical tonsillectomy and neck dissection
4 of the nodes removed had cancer. 2 had extra capsular spread.
3x cisplatin 33x rad 11/18/13
Completed treatment 01/08/14
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 | Exactly! Each day forward is one day closer to putting this thing in the kill bag and gone forever. Rough road ahead but positive attitude smooths the road a bit. Hang in there. don
Don Male, 57 - Great health except C Dec '12 DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes 1 tooth out Jan '13 2nd tooth out Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT 4-6/2013 CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150 ended 5/29,6/4 All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com | | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 33 | Everyone,
I just finished my last chemo and feeling pretty good. I still have 6 rad treatments and then I will be done. The clinical trial I participated in really helped. No mouth sores and mucositis which has allowed me to eat solids. Still no taste but I can eat solids. I have managed to keep my weight up so unless something drastic would change no PEG. Now its time to finish and wait for the PET/CT scans saying I am clear. Not sure when that will be yet but I am hoping to celebrate In Cozumel on the beach when it does.
Once again I want to say thanks to everyone on this site your recommendations and inspirations have helped me through this. I hope everyone has a happy New Year and all your wishes for 2014 come true.
Last edited by CWB; 01-01-2014 09:07 AM.
Curt
Age 43, nonsmoking, social drinker
Left tonsil cancer
SCC HPV+16
Stage IV
tonsillectomy, robotic radical tonsillectomy and neck dissection
4 of the nodes removed had cancer. 2 had extra capsular spread.
3x cisplatin 33x rad 11/18/13
Completed treatment 01/08/14
| | | | | 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 | Great news Curt. I am a tad surprised that your last of 3 chemos was administered a week before the last rad. Most have their last chemo the last day of radiation.
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: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 | With only 6 rad treatments left to go it looks like you're dodging most of the side effects, like I did.
Last week of rads is when the mucositis showed up for me, doctor said I had been incredibly lucky as most people get it by week two of rads. It would be great if you dodged it completely, but if you don't still consider yourself lucky. Here I am almost a week post treatment and still have it. Thank goodness for oral lidocaine gel and Ensure.
Your doing great, just keep on keeping on, it will be over soon enough, then the real healing can begin.
Tony
Tony, 69, non-smoker, aerobatics pilot, bridge player/teacher, avid dancer (ballroom, latin, swing, country)
09/13 SCC, HPV 16, tonsillectomy, T2N0.
11/13 start rads, no chemo
12/13 taste gone, dry mouth,
02/14 hair slowly returning
05/14 taste the same, dry sinuses, irrigation helps.
01/15 food taste about 60% returned, dry sinuses are worse in winter.
12/20 no more sinus problems, taste pretty good
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,293 Likes: 1 | Curt,
Thanks for the update. Always good to hear now folks are progressing. Sounds like your journey is going quite well. Unbelievable you kept all your weight on - tells a lot that you dodge many of the typical side effects.
Hang in there, Don
Don Male, 57 - Great health except C Dec '12 DX: BOT SCC T2N2bMx, Stage 4a, HPV+, multiple nodes 1 tooth out Jan '13 2nd tooth out Tumor Board -induction TPF (3 cycles), seq CRT 4-6/2013 CRT 70gr 2x35, weekly carbo150 ended 5/29,6/4 All the details, join at http://beatdown.cognacom.com | | |
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