| | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 711 | Valium and a couple of Windham Hill new age CD's. I panicked twice and had to be pulled out. As soon as I even thought I was having trouble breathing it was zero to panic in no time. That was in the early going, after week 2 I was OK.
David R. 65 yr old male non-smoker, light drinker, stage 3 or 4, depending on which doc you ask, scc rt. tonsil, 2 nodes, 7 weeks radiation and chemo. No surgery. Teatment ended 3/20/08. PET scan 8/08 showed no cancer. And now, as of oct, 2010, caregiver to wife, Linda, with breast cancer. May, 2013, Linda diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Enuf already.
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 | Yeah, I'm pretty worried about thinking too much about breathing...hence the desire for 1) Valium/Ativan/vaporizer and 2) music to distract. They didn't make a nose hole for me and I have a block in my mouth, so it ain't pretty...
Chrissy
Stage 2 SCC upper right palate Hemi-palatectomy and maxillectomy 5/28/09 Six teeth gone IMRT x30 starts July 13. Completed 8/26/09 Carboplatin and Taxol x6 starting 7/14/09. Completed 8/25/09.
| | | | | 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 | There were many days towards the end that I would stop in the BR before and see if I had to upchuck and even then there were some close calls in the rad room but I never did toss them there.
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 $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | I didn't have a nose hole either but it didn't seem to matter. After your first radiation treatment it won't seem like such a big deal. Don't get yourself all lathered up over it - we've all gone through and survived. Breathings easy - just don't hold your breath ;-)
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Until I shrank I looked like I had been hit in the face with a badminton racket but the impressions only lasted maybe a half an hour.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 | Yeah, I'm imagining it's kind of like having "massage face" when you come out of a massage, but worse (funnier?)(scarier?).
Chrissy
Stage 2 SCC upper right palate Hemi-palatectomy and maxillectomy 5/28/09 Six teeth gone IMRT x30 starts July 13. Completed 8/26/09 Carboplatin and Taxol x6 starting 7/14/09. Completed 8/25/09.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,357 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,357 Likes: 5 | Love the "hit in the face with a bsdminton racquet" description. I always thought I looked wonderful to anyone who was really into graphs and grids!
Donna
Donna,69, SCC L Tongue T2N1MO Stg IV 4/04 w/partial gloss;32 radtx; T2N2M0 Stg IV; R tongue-2nd partial gloss w/graft 10/07; 30 radtx/2 cispl 2/08. 3rd Oral Cancer surgery 1/22 - Stage 1. 2022 surgery eliminated swallowing and bottom left jaw. Now a “Tubie for Life”.no food envy - Thank God! Surviving isn't easy!!!! .Proudly Canadian - YES, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IS WONDERFUL! (Not perfect but definitely WONDERFUL)
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | I colorized a photo of myself green just after I got my mask and I look like the "Creature From the Blue Lagoon". It's on my facebook... Look in the "My Cancer Adventure" photo album.
Gary Allsebrook *********************************** Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2 Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy) ________________________________________________________ "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
| | | | | 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 | That was the Black Lagoon. I saw that when I was 6 years old and I had to leave the movie and go into the concession area many many times as I was soooo scared. To this day I remember that movie experience just like it was yesterday.
That movie and Old Yeller when I was 9. The 2 most traumatic movies in my life.
Isn't it odd that we can remember vast details about some events occurring many years ago yet I forget to get something my wife asked to pick up all the time?
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: May 2007 Posts: 622 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: May 2007 Posts: 622 Likes: 1 | [quote=Pandora99]Is there any better sound in this world than the sound of the clips being undone? Donna [/quote]
Yes, the clips being undone on your LAST treatment!!! 18 YEAR SURVIVOR SCC Tongue (T3N0M0) diag 06/2006. No evidence of disease 2010 Another PET 12-2014 pre-HBO, still N.E.D.
�Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. It matters that you don't just give up.� Stephen Hawking | | |
| Forums23 Topics18,284 Posts197,225 Members13,429 | | Most Online2,386 Nov 19th, 2025 | | |
This is another custom island. This one could be used for ads. This spot is one of the best places for ads on your site to be placed. This can be enabled/disabled on a per forum basis.
| | | |