Hey!
Since the beginning of my little adventure seems to be in dispute, I will start at the point where there is no debate. After a bad run in with the flu I had a lymph node under my right jaw try to compete for space as a second head.
After several visits to my GP I finally went in to have the thing removed. Chaos after that, radiation and chemo at the same time, hearing damaged and total loss of saliva glands. Scans showed a possible issue in my chest, that has yet to be re-scanned.
While struggling with the Xerostomia, eating problems and dental issues, I am doing ok. My employer forced me back to work just a couple of weeks after the last treatment or lose medical ins, so I have been on my feet since, some of the 50 or so pounds of weight have returned along with plenty of hair to cover those radiation bald spots.
Heh, its nice to be a hippy again!
I wanted to pop in and say hi, as well as tell you all that there are some new salva substitutes out there to fill the gap left when the common stuff went out of production. The new stuff actually protects your teeth and mine hurt alot less than they did before.
There IS life after treatment, keep your head held high, pull as many pranks on the medical staff as you can and strive for your future!

UncleVern

Welcome to OCF. Its always nice to see people who overcome OC with a sense of humor still left. Please take a minute to update your signature so we can get to know you better.

Vern,

It would be easier if you updated your Signature Line so that we may see your timeline and better understand your Dx and Tx, etc. Hang in there as your recovery may take years but chances are you will come back to near pre Tx levels.

I like your attitude. Keep em smiling is my motto too. Even if you look funny without teeth like me. Drink a cold glass of water the next time they want to take your temp. It gets them excited. LOL

There is the updated profile data for you, hope its sufficiently complete and accurate. I will also post medial prank pics on the photobucket site, including: Dressing the chemo/IV pump up as my girlfriend "Ivy", got to meet the staff psycologist for that one, and shocking the radio oncology department by pulling and "Uncle Fester" stunt with a trick light bulb.

Humor IS the best medicine ...

Uncle Vern,
What David and we need to know is did you have IMRT radiation or XRT (standard radiation). That can make a difference in how your salivary function will recover and how we can relate to your cancer adventure.

Welcome to the site and refreshing sense of humor. We can always use more of that around here.

AH, sorry I corrected that, the answer is IMRT. While one oncologist expects no further improvement in salavary function, the other is not so sure.
My dog's vet is sure there will be further improvement. [{:-)
I was very lucky to have a young dentist involved for a while, that treated his mother during and after the same treatment. He prescribed pilocarpine eye drops diluted for oral use, however the pharmacists refused to fill that script. I wound up with overly powerful capsules and am hoping to convince the last remaining oncologist to participate/allow dilution of Biotene liquid with pilocarpine solution this week.
On a rare occasion, the left sub-mandibular will give a little blast, so there is some life there and I hope to excersize that gland every time I lubricate.
New students occasionally run screaming to the administration complaining about me "takin hits off something" in the classroom during lectures. I don't suppose that being lit up on Frappuccino has anything to do with their assumptions??? LOL
I occasionally take pilocarpine before going to bed if I am dry, and sleep in a heavily steamed room to reduce drying out at night. That practice is seriously damaging the house though.
If you would like, I can pass a link to a white paper for the "Oral eye drops" formulation and the jobs saliva does.
But I think you already know, sharp group here and I really wish I had found you a couple of years ago!

There are a number of machines made for moisturizing the air you are breathing and not the whole house (I have one now for my tracheostomy air -- Keeps gunk from drying out).

What is the Uncle Fester light bulb trick?

My plans are to type and publish most of these stunts somewhere over the next few weeks. However here is a quickie on that one:
A few weeks into treatment, I was having nerve issues, falling over going around corners, electrolite issues... etc.
My radio Oncologist comes in, serious as death itself and FOCUSED.
He asks me 50 questions, the last one being if I was having problems we hadn't discussed. I tell him that I have been getting this full body tingling/numbness when I lower my head to my chest (true), he asked for a better discription.
Starting to say its "like an electric shock", I stop and tell him I am going to show him. Grabing the standard joke light bulb out of my bag, I pop it in my mouth and light it up.
HEH! I thought he was gonna die!
He did his best to figure out just how we were going to smuggle that thing into the treatment room so I could light just before they switched on the rads... Almost giggling like a little girl!
Any effort I can make to lighten the terrible responsabilities on those doctors, nurses and techs seems an appropriate way to thank them, as much as entertain, well um, ME!
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/UncleVerns/?action=view&current=Lightitup.jpg

Like your style Uncle V but I wasn't much in the mood to make jokes when I was sure THEY, each and every one in a planned concerted effort, were trying to kill me in the name of saving me.