#43330 05-21-2004 06:07 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 164 Gold Member (100+ posts) | Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 164 | Sabrina,
Congrats!! Did you read my post about the guy who ran his mask over with an SUV? I almost broke down when I rag the bell.
Lynn
Stage 3, N0, M0 oral tongue cancer survivor, 85-90% of tongue removed, neck disection, left tonsil removed, chemo/radiation treatments, surgery 11/03, raditation ended 1/04, lung mets discovered 4/04,
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#43331 05-21-2004 08:47 AM | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Congratulations to both you and Sheldon on completing your treatments. I was never given that dreaded mask. I forget what reason they gave, but there was some medical reason they didn't give them out. Someone on the board some time ago suggested a planter. I like the guy who ran it over with his SUV.
I never realized how much that mask had affected me until 3 years later I went for an open MRI of the head as I was getting unexplained headaches. They got out this mask to bolt me to the machine and I went hysterical. I did manage to have the test done, but never again. I NEVER want to see a mask or anything over my face again.
What is this phase three you are going to have? Will it effect your ability to eat? I too made it through without a PEG tube and was able to eat some foods shortly after radiation. This is a good season to be finishing with all the fresh vegetables and fruits coming available. Pick foods that have a lot of moisture in them. You might even try a bit of lobster claws with lots of butter in a month or so. That and rare lamb chops or steak were some of the first meats I could eat. Pasta with cream sauces. I also drank flat ginger ale, apple juice, water and milk to help get food down. Took a long time to get food down, but it was worth it to eat real food again.
Congrats again. You did it!
Eileen
---------------------- Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
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#43332 05-22-2004 02:46 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 | I am SOOOO running that baby over with Jim's SUV (I drive what's equivalent to a matchbox car; it would probably get stuck)! That is just the BEST idea I've ever heard. I'll wait until bracheytherapy (Phase III) is over in a couple/few weeks. It'll give a real good UMPH of satisfaction to start living life the right way again!! Thanks everyone!!! Sabrina PS - Dinah, it may go downhill, but not without me KICKING and SCREAMING the whole damn way!! | | |
#43333 05-22-2004 08:37 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 44 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 44 | I say you are such a complete WINNER! How wonderful to hit that milestone! Congratulations! That last day of Ed's radiation I damn near hyperventilated from excitement (and terror thinking "now what? What can we do next? Take THAT, cancer!"). I remembre thinking the only thing I could do to be "pro-active" in kicking the ugly cancer butt was be driver to treatment. Oh! My Ed was the most beautiful I can ever remember, that day...when he came out holding the mask, tears flowing and jaw quivering - the icon of hope to those sitting out in the lobby waiting... What a miracle that medical technology stuff and talk about loving hearts of the technicians, doctors and nurses! We never met any that were missing the secret ingredient! I'm so happy for you, it's almost hard to swallow (no pun intended)! :rolleyes: Secret: We got home and Ed handed it over (almost like saying, you gotta do this because I'm not sure what to do). I gently placed the mask in our closet (high enough that it wouldn't scream at me every day but low enough that I'd see it every once in awhile) so I could remember how important it was to his recovery/treatment and let me remind it that's where it was going to stay - in the closet. Susan (Uptown's Girl)
Caregiver to Uptown/Ed, SCC Stage IV, Base of tongue - Completed Chemo (Cisplatnin/5FU) and 45 days' simultaneous Radiation 10/08/03
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#43334 05-22-2004 09:38 AM | Anonymous Unregistered | Anonymous Unregistered | Sabrina,
Please check your private messages. Dinah | | |
#43335 05-24-2004 05:23 AM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 Gold Member (100+ posts) | Gold Member (100+ posts) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 162 | Congrats, Sabrina. I still have my mask. I considered burning it, but I've been trying to think of something positive/artful to do with it. I might just paint it rasta colors, put sunglasses on it and hang it on the wall of my garage. Or I may run over it with my motorcycle.
You did good!
-Brett
Base of Tongue SCC. Stage IV, T1N2bM0. Diagnosed 25 July 2003. Treated with 6 weeks induction chemo -- Taxol & Carboplatin once a week followed with 30 fractions IMRT, 10 fields per fraction over 6 more weeks. Recurrence October 2005.
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