| | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 | Jim, Maybe it's time to call in "The Brian". He knows everything.  Brian, can you help out here? Lani
SCC part glossectomy 3/06, recur 8/06 glossectomy, floor of mouth, part of jaw removed, RT/chemo thru 10/12/06, PET clear 7/08
"A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn"
Passed away 12/14/08
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 71 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,918 Likes: 71 | I only have talked with about 10 patients who have had brachytherapy orally. I know about 10 more that had it in the southern regions for men's issues. I am certainly not an expert on implanted radioactive beads, but the whole reason for using them is that it limits the area of radiation, and the amount of collateral damage to other areas that those of us that had conventional radiation deal with, does not happen to seed patients. While again stating that my experience in this is limited since it is not the main mechanism of treatment for our kind of cancer, it seems unilkely tied to memory loss. Chemo brain, a well established issue and side effect is well known, and for most people transitory. And of course once you enter your 6th decade of lifem memory loss has been minimally happening for at least a decade already. (Obviously to different degrees in different people.... probably more in me.)
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 Platinum Member (200+ posts) | | Platinum Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 250 | Brian,
Well you may not be an expert, but you DID know. That's impressive in itself. And now I understand, and when Jim logs back on, he will too, though I think he'll argue against it's effectiveness. I believe he feels he still has a lot of collateral damage. Maybe it just would have been a whole lot worse without them.
See? You DO know everything. Or if not, then you're pretty darned quick at finding out. Thank you.
Lani
SCC part glossectomy 3/06, recur 8/06 glossectomy, floor of mouth, part of jaw removed, RT/chemo thru 10/12/06, PET clear 7/08
"A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn"
Passed away 12/14/08
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Thank you Brain and thank you Lani for the advice. You both are great..I sure as heck know a lot more than I did.
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: 8 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: 8 |
Jim
Ive never had the best memory. After rad and chemo it was even worse. I think you are the only one Ive run into on here with the seed implants.
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: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 | "I sure as heck know a lot more than I did."
_________________________
Now don't forget it...lock it in...Just couldn't help it you set yourself up either that or I am getting more and more warped... lmao.....
Dianne..treatment at cc at Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario...insulin dependant, Surgery Sept 8/08 Tracheotomy,composite resection and bilateral neck dissection, left radial forearm free flap... T2N0 squamous cell carcinoma. No radiation A little over 2 yrs clear YAY
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,219 | Donna's (Donnarose) mom Rose, had brachytherapy done at the University of Pennsylvania where she was treated. It was done in Sept, 2007.
If anyone is interested in reading posts on this topic, just type in Brachytherapy in the search engine at the top of this page on the right. It's amazing what you can find through searching.
Jim,
Sorry you're having memory problems, but as Brian said, it's most likely not related to the implants.
Jerry
Last edited by wilckdds; 11-30-2008 12:20 PM.
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: Jun 2008 Posts: 309 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 309 | from what i have heard (looked into this a lot when my brother went thru it for a different severe illness) ... many things contribute to it (1) The TRAUMA of the illness and treatments (2) The STRESS (3) The inability to get the proper NUTRITION and VITAMINS at times (4) MEDICATIONS ... I have found that if I look back to times in my life where I was under a lot of stress (parents illness / death - my illnesses etc) there are periods during each of these where my brain is foggy and I think it is because i was on autopilot at the time and too stressed for my body to have enough ammo to both function as a body and to process info into long term memory as well so it took the living portion as the most important and left my mind a blank ... i guess it made the right choice but i sure miss my mind ... PS: Did you hear that one of the big names in medical journals have now said 2 studies have shown that CHEMO brain is not a reality? They say they have shown in these studies that it is the stress of hearing you have cancer that causes the CHEMO BRAIN and not the chemo itself... of course no one agrees with them that has experienced it, but this is their claim to make you feel better about chem (did it help? LOL)
Last edited by azcallin; 11-30-2008 05:03 PM.
Rita - Age 44
wife, mother of 4 - ages 3,16,21,24 & grandma to 1
(R upper) Maxillectomy 8/8/08 - UW / Seattle, WA.
===============================
"Those who think by the inch and speak by the yard, should be kicked by the foot."
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 531 | The idea of autopilot is probably close to the truth. My husband said I was functioning, talking and walking. I do not remember any or very very little of the week after my surgery. Same with a couple of days after my biopsy. So I think I agree with that concept. It makes sense.
Dianne..treatment at cc at Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario...insulin dependant, Surgery Sept 8/08 Tracheotomy,composite resection and bilateral neck dissection, left radial forearm free flap... T2N0 squamous cell carcinoma. No radiation A little over 2 yrs clear YAY
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Hell, it will take a lot more than any of this stuff to et me to slow down or put me down.. Thanks all and I find this interesting. LOL , Guess we all have our days. Some good & some Bad.
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
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