| Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 794 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 794 | Christine, I have had the exact thought.....that they will benefit from hearing our stories, and that they have found that working with professionals is a lot less trouble than letting us "real" people have our say. At least they have heard us and perhaps their final product will do some good in bringing greater awareness to some segment of the population. We don't even know what their purpose is/was in making this film. I do believe that they owe us some explanation or at least information about what they plan to do with the information that we provided. We shared openly with them with a certain expectation, and with not a little effort on the part of each person who participated.
Bravo for our OCF family to be so committed to helping others avoid this disease that we would come out in large numbers for this project. Whether or not it is ever completed is out of our control, but in some way we've helped. Maybe one of the interviewers learned something from one of us that will help him/her recognize a problem. That would be worth all the effort.
Colleen--T-2N0M0 SCC dx'd 12/28/05...Hemi-maxillectomy, partial palatectomy, neck dissection 1/4/06....clear margins, neg. nodes....no radiation, no chemo....Cancer-free at 4 years!
| | | | Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 | Honestly, my story is not available for free to benefit a for-profit company. If they want to use it and hire and actor to say it, I would expect compensation for that as much as if they'd paid me to appear in an ad. I'll gladly share my experience here, where it will directly benefit other patients though!
Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08 Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016 Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | margaret,, I admire you for your courage and what you have accomplished ..I am so glad to hear things are looking good.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Colleen, glad to hear I wasnt alone in my way of thinking. I like to know the 'why' behind things, and this didnt add up. I started thinking this way as soon as people started posting about the emails they got. I never got one at all.
Who knows what the real story here was. It would have been nice for some OCF people to be involved. At least we have Teresa and Jerry who have done a wonderful job on tv to spread the word. ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | I didn't get an email either, but I went through Wickline Casting, not CaroCast, and their methods seem to be different.
Age 67 1/2 Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05 Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08 Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08 Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06 Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08) Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08) On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 | Pete,
Did you go to Philly or did you send a video?
I'm curious as to what was different about their methods.
Jerry
Jerry
Retired Dentist, 59 years old at diagnosis. SCC of the left lateral border of the tongue (Stage I). Partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed, 4/6/05. Nodes all clear. No chemo no radiation 18 year survivor.
"Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger"
| | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | I am in Washington State, so I sent a poor-quality video on CD made with a web cam and a really bad microphone -- I also sent a very short one by EMail.
The difference is one has given no feedback and the other has given feedback that is ambiguous...
Age 67 1/2 Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05 Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08 Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08 Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06 Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08) Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08) On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | I replied to their first e mail and I was contacted by phone and spoke to them for about 10 minutes. I was asked to come up like you guys did but I instead e mailed them a copy of the newspaper article that appeared about me several months post Tx. I then got the same confusing e mail that most of you got saying they hadn't made up their mind about me but thanks anyway.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 | This afternoon I sent off an email to Terry, the casting director and to Caroline, the person setting up the auditions in New York.
When and if I get a response I will share it with everyone.
Jerry
Jerry
Retired Dentist, 59 years old at diagnosis. SCC of the left lateral border of the tongue (Stage I). Partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed, 4/6/05. Nodes all clear. No chemo no radiation 18 year survivor.
"Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger"
| | | | Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 |
Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08 Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016 Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018
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