Echoing some posts in other topics, depression is a very real risk to those of us with oral cancer. I don't have any answers but if you are feeling blue, it seems that you have lots of company. Surfing Medscape I found these May 08 quotes from William M. Lydiatt, MD, professor and division chief, head and neck surgical oncology, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha,

"Depression in patients with head or neck cancer is among the highest � if not the highest � of all cancer patients", Dr. Lydiatt told Medscape Psychiatry. "I think that's because the cancers affect the most basic aspects of humanity; they may affect your facial appearance; they may affect your ability to eat, to speak, and to breathe; and this interferes with the most basic of activities."

In addition, the treatment itself � which can involve long and arduous radiation and/or chemotherapy sessions � may contribute to depressed mood, said Dr. Lydiatt.

He published a report in the May issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology � Head and Neck Surgery on prophylactic anti depressants but as Medscape noted: With only 23 patients in the study, its lack of statistical power is a main weakness.

My recommendation is daily use of the OCF Forum - which unlike anti depressants has no known bad side effects.

Charm, I want to thank you for posting this. It doesn't say anything about the personality change, but I'm sure we all know that. LOL I guess I was a Bear, Grizzly at that.

I also would like to thank you for this post. I find it interesting on the day I am having one of my worst days with this whole situation yet. Just when I think I had things under control. Between the not smoking, the pending surgery and other treatments still unknown, I have been having some very very powerful thoughts and not wanting them there. Today I had the first person ever to basically say it's your own fault you have cancer you smoked didn't you. I was already having a bad day with those issues and then that. Most people are so kind. And as far as a daily dose of OCF it is true. I feel like I know a lot of you and that you are the only people who really understand what I am going through. I am really fighting hard to keep positive. Thank you all!!

Still struggling

Dianne

I have long said that the mental aspect of our cancer is at least 50% of our battle and none of us really need a Dr or a study to tell us what our side effects may be because we know those first hand. Some of us get lucky, like me, and require no surgery; have recovered almost totally in taste and dry mouth issues; have no speech or swallowing issues; and have no other side effects to remind me of my cancer fight. Others are left with the extremes in all those categories and the rest fall somewhere in between. But one thing that we should never loose sight of is that we still are the lucky ones since we are still alive. For that we need to forget the "why me's" and "I don't deserve this's" and think only positive thoughts. We should forget the past us and concentrate on the future and thank whoever you believe in that we are still alive and able to do the things that we are able to.

Everyday is a new and vibrant day and we should be ecstatic that we wake up and are a part of it. It's funny but in some ways I feel like my life is better because I got this cancer.

Well said David. I can relate to a lot of what you have written.
Cheers
Gabriele

David, thanks for putting this into perspective. Whenever I start feeling down about my struggles with recovery, I try to think Im one of the lucky ones. The "why me" never got to me, it was the frustration of not returning to the old me that is most bothersome. Sometimes it takes reading a few posts here to remember how bad this cancer is and how lucky I am. Charm, thank you for posting this.

It is I who should be thanking you (Jim, Christine & Dianne) as well as David, Brian, Gabe and all the posters here. You find what you are looking for and it wasn't a coincidence that I was searching for medical studies on depression. I have always been a "when Life gives you lemons, make a vodka tonic" type of guy (my old recipe: * 6 lemons
* 6 oranges
* 4 limes
* 1 large bottle Stolichnaya Citros (or other citrus-flavored vodka)
* Several bottles of tonic
* Ice )
but the diagnosis of Stage IV a year ago and the daily drudgery of radiation plus chemo reactions intensifying the burns was daunting. Like David, I was one of the lucky ones with no surgery or PEG as well as blessed with a wonderful wife as caregiver and a flexible workplace yet my feelings are more like a quote from a sci fi novel "city on fire":
"I am Wiser now, but it is the kind of Wisdom that can turn a man bitter. I do not know if I am better for having it". Each day is new, and I do try to celebrate it. I just wanted to share some "medical" validation that the "new normal" challenges us to resist depression, persist in enjoyment, smile at life's crap, and believe we can not only survive but thrive.
Everyone here deserves to pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

There is another old adadge that goes something like what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

From this site I have found a lot of strong people still hanging around doing wonderful things!!