Hey guys, I need your help! My friend Rod who was diagnosed last March of SCC stage 4 is having a problem. Last November all scans were clear. He was seeing his ENT once a month and all was going great!!! Doc did the scope in Feb & said he looked so good he would not see him again until April. Anyway he woke up this am with a feeling of something in his throat when he swallows. I am so scared. He will call his doctor but please tell me this could be something else. He was out late last night and had a bad night with the dry mouth so I am wondering could that be it???? Please someone respond. Thanks so much! Maureen

It could be many things without being cancer. We always tend to think everything we feel is a reoccurrance. This feeling will lessen in time.
Hope all goes well with the doctor visit Maureen.

Danny Boy

Maureen, chances are it is something other than a recurrance. Dry mouth is just one of many possibilities. Could be a bit of food stuck in the throat or a med. Happens to me all of the time. Especially after the tonsilectomy. There is now a hole where the tonsils used to be and I get things (Nexium, vitamins, food) stuck there all the time. It could be phlegm, lots of things. Just suggest to Rod that he have it checked out to be sure.

Thanks you guys. It is terrible that as soon as something happens your mind goes crazy thinking recurrence.We were talking last night and he said Saturday night he was at a "relay for life" cancer benefit.He was running and doing some kind of races.I am hoping he just over did it. I am scared though. I worry so much. He will see his ENT doctor and that end of this month. He is going call & see if they need to see him sooner.Otherwise he is doing good. He had a chest cold that cleared up pretty fast.His throat is sore in the mornings from dry mouth but this is the first time he has said he felt like he had a lump in his throat when he swallows.I will pray it's nothing. Thanks you both so much for the replies. God bless! Maureen

Hi Maureen,
If it lasts more than a few days, I would not ley him wait until the end of the month to have it checked. It is most likely nothing, for me, it did not turn out that way. I swallowed a large pill and it hurt. When I did it on the sedond day and the same thing happened, I called the dr. The rest is history. Yes we do tend ot overeact sometimes, erring on the side of caution is better than missing an early diagonosis. Have it watch it for a few days and them make a decision. I'm just never that patient.

Take care,
Eileen

Eileen
Thanks so much! I told him the same thing. I wouldn't wait more than a few days.He said it was feeling better today, but this morning it was very dry again. I think that is alot of his problem, the dry mouth. He was radiated on both sides so he has very, very little saliva.He said its pretty rough until he has his a.m coffee. It just really scared me when he said about it feeling like a lump when he swallowed. I know I shouldn't freak out over everything but it's hard. He isn't even one year out yet, I am going to end up crazy!!!!:)Thanks so much guys for the help.Maureen

Hi Maureen, Yes he should probably have it checked, but try not to worry, I get the same feeling from time to time and checks find nothing. I believe it is dryness related and possibly because of side effects from treatments. Of course the more you think about it the worse it feels.

I had more than half of my tongue removed in July 99 and really had to change my life around quite a bit....and a non smoker too. I have been given a clean bill of health since with the oral cancer. I deal with dry mouth constantly and there are some good products out there..SALIVA SUBSTITUTE, SALIVART AND STOPPERS DRY MOUTH all available without RX. It relieves the discomfort and if used at bedtime, it does keep my mouth moist and I do sleep better...and helps with the throat feeling "lumpy" or "tight".

Flubby43 & Mark,

Thanks so much. I think and am praying it is due to the dry mouth. It seems better. Sunday morning was the worst and late sat night was the relay for life he attended in which he was running & fast walking on a track.He has alot of products for dry mouth.He was using them too soon after radiation & they were burning his throat so I will mention that he try them again. He started using a humidifier at night recently also. I just wonder why the doctors didn't mention trying to save his salivary glands like I have heard mentioned on these boards.You wouldn't think dry mouth would be this miserable.:0 Congats to you both on being several years out! Rod is only 9 months from tx so I still worry so much over every little thing. It's hard not too. Alot of you say that gets better with time. I hope so. God bless! You guys are great! Maureen

I had 6 weeks of radiation in 1999... one blast on each side of my jaw and one under my chin and throat everyday. The Dr told me that dry mouth will always be a problem with me for the rest of my life. I figure, if that is the worst thing left with all I have had to endure, then I can live with it. I know it is hard for each of us to endure all that we have had to but keep thinking positive cause they are really making great strides out there with this disease. It does make us more creative (in my case, how to eat anything I can put in the blender) and a lot more understanding of others and their problems. I do find that I am a better listener now. I am a milk drinker and I also find that the milk is easier on my throat than all the water I have to drink. Things do get better over time or maybe we just relax and live our new "lives"....HANG IN THERE...PRAYING FOR ALL....Flo