#26365 05-05-2004 01:51 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) |  Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Maria,
Calm down. You are doing everything you can and it is time to sit back and let the mind rest. We all go through this crazy period of imagining the worst and we never get to relax. That's why we tell others to do it!
I am hoping the news is all good and praying for the best for you.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | |
#26366 05-05-2004 10:00 PM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Maria
This part is the wall climbing club... includes hanging from the ceiling as an extra... I try now only to look in my mouth once a week.. I can see more things that are not there than enough.. Calm dwon if you can.. we both get our results on Friday... glad it's not a Friday the 13th
Take Care
Love and Hugs
Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
| | |
#26367 05-05-2004 11:30 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 143 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 143 | Maria, please try to calm down, are you taking anything for anxiety? As Helen say`s this is when we climb the walls and hang from the ceiling. Frank had the cancer, but I`m scared to death to look in my mouth. The waiting game is terrible, and I think sometimes we imagine the worst to prepare ourselves for the worst, at least I do.....................We`ll All be sending lots of Prayers and Love You`re Way.............Dee | | |
#26368 05-06-2004 01:13 AM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 10 Member | | OP Member
Joined: May 2004 Posts: 10 | Helen/Dee I havent quite made it up to the ceiling, just half way up the wall LOL I dont know where everybody here finds their strength, but Im trying my best to emmulate all of you and be strong myself. Helen I read your profile, taking care of your husband and yourself, and you Dee my heart goes out to you about Frank but I see you have something to look forward to in the future. The funny thing, when I was younger, I thought nothing would ever happen to me, but over the years, too many bad things have. Brief run down, my dad abused me, had a brother pass away on my 16th birtday, took care of mom for over 5 years, take care of learning disabled brother, both parents and all grandparents passed away. Raised my niece for many years, she passed away two years ago at the age of 20 from CF. My other brother just recently passed away 2 months ago, lost one of my best friends a month after my niece due to Melanoma. I mean it just goes on and on. I also told myself that God wouldnt give me anymore than I could handle, and in some strange way I felt proud to know that he felt I was this strong. I tried to think that all the bad was behind me, that now, FINALLY it would be my turn to find happiness. But as I read all the posts on this forum, I feel a bit ashamed at my lil pity party. ALL of you have been through so much, yet you keep encouraging others, you keep your sense of humor, you keep LIVING. I dont ever recall anybody ever having such an impact on me, but this forum is a God Send and all of you are truly Angels of Mercy. Whew that was close, instead of Continuing UP THE WALL, I jumped off my platform LOL Helen Im keeping my fingers crossed for a NEGATIVE RESULT-damn that just doesnt sound right does it, here we all are trying to be POSITIVE and Im wishing for you to be NEGATIVE lol | | |
#26369 05-06-2004 02:06 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Maria,
Have you read the Purpose Driven Life? One of the premises of this book is that God uses our tough times to build character for His purposes. It sounds like He has chosen you for great things. I am sorry you have had to endure so much in your lifetime.
Think of all of us as participants in one giant game of "leap frog". We go through treatment and those around help us; we finish and we help those behind us; they finish and help the next group, etc. We all have started at about the same point you are and soon you will be helping someone in your exact position.
Remember, we all are subject to our pity parties at times. We all have climbed the walls waiting for news and we all have allowed our circle of friendship and support to grow bigger by the day. Welcome to the circle!
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
| | |
#26370 05-06-2004 02:23 AM | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 | Ed, excellent advice, I am reading The Purpose Driven Life right now.....Everything you said to Maria is sooooo true!!!!!!!!! God Bless!!!!!
Diagnosed May 2002 with Stage IV tongue cancer, two lymph nodes positive. Surgery to remove 1/2 tongue, neck dissection, 35 radiation treatments. 11/2007, diagnosed with cancer of soft palate, surgery 12/14/07, jaw split. 3/24/10, cancer on tongue behind flap, need petscan, surgery scheduled 4/16/10
---update passed away 8-27-11---
| | |
#26371 05-06-2004 04:08 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 | Maria-
You did ask a question a few posts ago if anyone else had a similar experience with tonsils. My tonsils were removed when I was in 8th grade. The left one regrew. I'm not sure why the doctors were reluctant to remove it again while I was in my 30's or 40's. They mentioned it was a tougher surgery when you are an adult, but when they got around to it when I hit 50 I didn't find the tonsilectomy that stressfull or painful. They weren't expecting the results to come back positive and hadn't prepared us for the possibility of cancer since I did't smoke and had no other symptoms. I am praying you have good news tomorrow on your biopsy results, but you might consider having the regrown tonsils removed anyway.The peace of mind might be worth a week of throat pain. Good luck to you! - Kris
SCC Stage IV left tonsil neck disection 3/02 radiation finished 6/02 chemo finished 9/02
Stage 2A left breast cancer 3/09, chemo and radiation, finished treatment 2/7/10 -Stage 2 right beast cancer 10/14 chemo and radiation
Every day is still a gift :-)
| | |
#26372 05-07-2004 03:48 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 | Maria,
This AM after treatment, I was having my own "pity party". Every one of us in there succumbs to it at one time or another. It's healthy, as long as we don't dwell forever. Incidentally, Regis and Kelly had a Mother's Day Special, which I cried through the entire time, and the "warm and fuzzy feeling" the show gave snapped me out of it.
I think the same thing about the strength of people here. When they're complimented, everyone is so modest. Then my friends/family compliment me, and I wonder what drugs they're taking to say that. I guess, consciously or otherwise, we see a task and force ourselves to go through it. Willingly or not, we have to get to the other side of each obstical. The hurdle didn't seem so high after we were over it.
A few weeks back, after the realization of Cancer really hit I was simultaneously diagnosed with Endrometriosis. My body "flipped out" and there wasn't a milimeter on my face (eyelids included) that wasn't covered in hives. The saying "God only gives you what you can handle" wasn't cutting it anymore. I thought he'd made a mistake - each thing individually I could handle, but everything at once? I was sure the perverbial horse had trotted away - there was no way I could get back on it.
Then someone said "If He brought you to it, he'll bring you through it." I don't know why, but I've held onto that and it helped me get through those really dark days. Those dark days that we've ALL had. I hope it helps you.
We're here for you. This is an awesome group - Cancer sucks, but it'd be a difficult decision to trade it in and miss out "meeting" all the awesome people I have through this. I'm praying your biopsy comes back clean, and you still have been able to meet everyone here.
Good wishes,
Sabrina | | |
#26373 05-07-2004 04:13 AM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Hi all OK.. now on plan b.. plan a was better.. plan a was laser surgery... plan b is a flap.. don't need this.. as most of you know my husband is blind and he don't do notes.. should be fun at our house for a while.. am going to borrow a lap top and use text to speech.. so he will still have to be good..  next meeting ith docs on the 24th of May.. then I suppose will get a date.. looks like you will be seeing a lot more of me as we start countdown and my nerve goes.. Thanks for all your support so far.. love and hugs Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
| | |
#26374 05-07-2004 04:22 AM | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,116 | Hi Helen, sorry I must have missed something, could you tell me what is going on with you? Love, Carol
Diagnosed May 2002 with Stage IV tongue cancer, two lymph nodes positive. Surgery to remove 1/2 tongue, neck dissection, 35 radiation treatments. 11/2007, diagnosed with cancer of soft palate, surgery 12/14/07, jaw split. 3/24/10, cancer on tongue behind flap, need petscan, surgery scheduled 4/16/10
---update passed away 8-27-11---
| | |
| Forums23 Topics18,170 Posts196,933 Members13,105 | | Most Online458
Jan 16th, 2020 | | |
|
