DH was hosptializd this week wiht a rapidly progressing paralysis. It was like the cisplatin numbness started spreading up. Then his left leg went numb, then he lost the use of it. WIthin 48 hours, he was paralyzed from the waist down. It took the docs a couple of days to nail it down. He has a large tumor in one lung, it pspead to his spine and wrapped around the thoracic vertabra, cutting off the blood supply and killing his spinal cord. That isn't the worst of it, though...this time it is termial.
They have to run a biopsy of the lung tumor to find out if it is the H&N cancer mets, or if it is a new cancer, and if so, is it small cell or non-small cell. Depending on which it is, they will be able to treat it twice, three times, or four tiems before they run out of options. They have given him 12-15 months, more or less.
He is 18 months post treatment and his only symptom, prior to the numbness, was what the doctor had diagnosed as a pulled muscel in his back that he kept re-injuring Heck, we knew what he did each time he hurt it so we could see the pulled muscel, if you know what I mean.
The tumors run throughout his thoracic spine, although that one big one is the worst. The tumor in his lung is behind his heart and lying up alongside the spine.
Guess if nothig else, this will remind everyone that no matter if it is something that you KNOW is minor...have it checked out by someone who understands your cancer. And don't be like my stubborn DH and refuse to go see a specialist.
If he had caught it sooner, it probably still would have been terminal, but at least he wouldn't be paralyzed for these last few months.
