#43776 08-28-2004 05:09 PM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | OP  Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 | Hello all...
One more chemo treatment and three more radiation appointments, and I AM DONE with this latest -- and hopefully final -- round of treatments...
After living out of hotels for six weeks (thank God for the Tour de France and Olympics!), I am so ready to get on with my life and come on home for good...
Actually, my 50-minute radiation treatments weren't all that bad. I just kicked back, tried to stay still and listened to tunes the entire time. I only had to ask them to stop the beam once, and that's because I felt my head slide a bit after swallowing too hard. Whoops!
It was a pleasant surprise when my radiation tech told me this past Wednesday that my last five treatments were only going to last 15 minutes because they were just giving me a boost to the tumor-bed area... I felt like I was cheating or something the first day of the boost, but I wasn't complaining...
I'd be a lot more excited if I didn't have this third round of chemo coming up as well... It definitely takes my stomach for a ride for a week or so... which means I don't eat much... which means I lose more weight... which means doctors and others heckle me about that more and more... arrggg...
Anyway, I covered a high school football game for my newspaper on Friday night, and felt pretty good working a 7.5 hour day today (Saturday) getting the paper out. Can't wait to get back to that normal routine...
MRI scheduled for a month from now, with a PET probably in two months or so...
Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement during this time...
Tongue cancer (SCC), diagnosed Oct. 2003 (T2 N0 M0). Surgery to remove tumor. IMRT Radiation 30x in Dec 2003 - Jan. 2004. Recurrence lymph node - radical neck dissection June 2004. Second round of rad/chemo treatments ended Sept. 2004.
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#43777 08-28-2004 09:17 PM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Glad you are making it through, didn't think anything less from you!
my prayers are with you for the last round!
Sunshine... 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
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#43778 08-28-2004 10:57 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 85 Senior Member (75+ posts) | | Senior Member (75+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 85 | You are right. You are cheating on the radiation. I, also have three more full sessions and I think you should ask for the full Monty!
Welcome to the end of the tunnel, again.
T1N0M0 Partial Glossectomy 2/04, Recurrance w/ another P.G. 5/04. IMRTx33 7/04-9/04. T2N2M0 recurrance in throat, 11/04.
2nd tumor 1/06/05, Chemo 1/11-05 Died 02-16-05 Wife: Brenda
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#43779 08-28-2004 11:34 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 146 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 146 | Way to go Eric! Good to hear that treatment are almost over. Now you can truly see the light at the end of the tunnel (albeit a long tunnel!). Hang in there. I know that awful stomach queasiness from chemo and how hard it is to keep your nutrition levels up but knowing it's the final round is something to be thankful for. Glad to hear you were able to be back at work, doing the job you love, on Saturday. Surviving 7.5 hours at work during treatments is quite an accomplishment!!! Your great attitude and spirit is an inspiration to me.
Hugs and prayers coming your way,
Nancy
Stage IV oral cancer (tongue), T3N2, total glossectomy with right and left modified neck dissection 7/03, rad /chemo ended 11/03
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#43780 08-29-2004 02:20 AM | Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 217 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 217 | Eric! How encouraging you are! We haven't even BEGUN the radiation, but I'm already feeling optimistic for Tom's well-being during those treatments. Is a 50-minute treatment the norm???? They've told us 45 minutes, but I assumed that included prep time, etc. 50 minutes seems like a V E R Y LOOOOONNNNNGGGG time! So glad to 'hear' you sounding so well after all this. Tom's not well at all today  , I think he'll just sleep to keep the nausea at bay. Happy Sunday, all. You were, as always, in my prayers. Nicki
Nicki, wife of Thomas
dx July 2004, SCC, Stage 4 Tonsil. Tx begun 8/4/04. Cisplatin/Xeloda x 4; IMRT 7 wks, 8/7 - 10/25/04 Modified Radical Dissection (right), Selective Dissection (Left) 12/10/04.
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#43781 08-29-2004 02:51 AM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 541 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 541 | Nickie, I don't know the normal duration for a radiation treatment but in my case all my treatments lasted less than 15 minutes each including prep time too. It was a piece of cake at the beginning but when it came to the middle and my skin began to burn, 10 minutes was already too long to bear. I don't think I could put up with a 50 minute one.
Karen.
Karen stage 4B (T3N3M0)tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/2001.Concurrent chemo-radiation treatment ( XRT x 48 /Cisplatin x 4) ended in 12/01. Have been in remission ever since.
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#43782 08-29-2004 09:07 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 207 | Hi Nicki -- my radiation doc told me I was the most complicated patient the rad techs had to deal with, so I take it that 50 minute treatments aren't the norm for head and neck. My first rad treatment back in the winter was just 15 minutes. At that point, I thought it lasted FOREVER. Now, that seems like a breeze...
Just keep telling Tom how great he is going to do. Are they radiating in his mouth, his neck, both? ONe of the things that helped me this time is that they are only radiating my neck. Aside from sunburn skin and some minor swelling, it hasn't been much of anything... I'm still able to eat pretty much normally (except during chemo weeks when food revolts me somewhat)...
Will Tom have access to a radio during rad? I know for me, that made a huge difference and kept my mind distracted. Bring in CDs or books on tape or find a radio station with talk radio, and the time will fly. Since I'm a sports writer, I tried to write columns and stories in my head to pass the time...
WIll definitely keep you guys in my prayers -- you can do it!!!!!
Tongue cancer (SCC), diagnosed Oct. 2003 (T2 N0 M0). Surgery to remove tumor. IMRT Radiation 30x in Dec 2003 - Jan. 2004. Recurrence lymph node - radical neck dissection June 2004. Second round of rad/chemo treatments ended Sept. 2004.
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#43783 08-29-2004 03:05 PM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 | Hey Eric,
Praise God you are almost done! You have been thru so much also, and you are very encouraging as you do what you need to do! You are in my daily prayers and so glad to hear rad is just about done...Dan's was about 20 or 25 minutes actual treatment, 41 of them to head, tongue and both sides of neck. He was extremely raw by the end, but made it, too!
God bless and take care,
Debbie
Debbie - Caregiver for husband, Dan, diagnosed with tongue cancer 7/03. Partial gloss., mod. neck dissections, graft. Recurrence neck tumor 12/03. Radical left neck dissection 12/24/03-unable to get all the tumor. 8 weeks chemo/rad beginning 1/12/04.
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#43784 08-30-2004 04:18 AM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 382 Likes: 3 | Eric!
Great news to hear you are almost finished! Can't believe you can continue working, too. What strength you have!!! You are truly an inspiration to all of us!!! Kick it in the butt this time! - 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 :-)
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#43785 08-30-2004 06:19 AM | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 284 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 284 | Eric,
I am so glad this is almost over for you. You seem to be holding up really well. I know by this point my mom was not doing anything. I can't believe you are working through this. My prayers are with you as always.
Dani
Originally joined OCF on 12/12/03 as DaniO or Danijams
Dani-Mom SCC BOT & floor of mouth surgery-recur then surgery/rads & chemo completed 3/04
surgery 11/06 to remove dead bone & replace jaw w/ leg bone & titanium plate
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