We Are Done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well folks, today was it.  Radiation treatment # 42 and we are DONE!! We can FINALLY offically begin the recovery period; I am so thankful this is over.

I know that this isn't the end of questions and a general crappy feeling but I feel like the biggest hurdle is definately behind us.

I was NOT too happy with the Dr however.  He felt his neck, said there was still a tiny little something there.  What does this mean???? SHOULD this go away over the next few weeks??  I asked him what this meant and he said nothing, we will disucss when he has his PET scan which should be somewhere in the week of July 4th.  I said I am just asking as I am a worrier and his response was "continue to worry until I tell you not too in 5 weeks"  What the heck was that?!?!?!  I had a few choice words for him but I was a good girl and kept them to myself; I know he is just doing his job and doesn't want to say anything until he has that concrete proof in front of him.

His follow up appointment is July 9th and the nurse said that we would have his results at that time.  Boy this is going to be a LONG 5 weeks.  I am going to try to stay positive and know that all the hell we went though over the past 7 weeks and more was not useless.  The pessimist in me forces me to have those thoughts in the back of my mind, though today at least I am squelching them :-)

I want to thank you all for your support and words of wisdom.  I don't know if I can find the words to say how I feel about how comforting it was for me to come here and discuss issues with others feeling the same way Phillip and I do.  Hopefully I will be able to be as helpful to another newbie and some of you were to me. 

Ok, don't mean to be all mushy, gushy but I feel so sentimental and GREAT today.  I will just be keeping my fingers crossed that my daughter and I can get the daddy/husband we knew back and in 5 weeks hear those magical no more cancer words.

God Bless you all!! *hugs*

Brandi

Congratulations on completing the treatments! Here is my experience : 44 days of radiation- I discovered a small lump under my chin. Ear nose & throat doctor says it is scar tissue, not cancer and can be removed without an overnight hospital stay. My right radial neck dissection left some pockets of scarring and cyst-like bumps. Perhaps this might be your case. Could be pockets of dead cells that the treatments took care of- I was told this could be the case with my bump. I too am waiting 5-6 weeks before going back. So far, pretty similar circumstances. You don't want a PET CT scan too soon as it measures the inflammation also. Radiation will give a false positive so early July timeline is right. Same with me- early July for the PET CT scan. All the best to you as you and your husband pass this wonderful milestone. A healthy and quick recovery!

Congratulations on completing the treatments! Thats one milestone down.

The wait for the first post treatment scan was the longest 8 weeks of my life. I was told it takes that long for the cancer to completely die after all the treatment, any sooner and you can get false positives, and you certainly dont want that.

Your doc may have been just doing his job, but I do think he could have said what he did in somewhay kinder terms. However, he may have just been having a bad day. Maybe he will have a really GOOD day in July when he tells the two of you that the PET scan came back clean.

Best wishes (and fingers crossed for you)

Mike

Congatulations!  it is a relief to be finished.  sounds like you doctor doesnt have a good bedside manner.  we were told that the neck dissection would give them the opportunity to take a look and see if there was anything left after the radiation...if they saw anything they would take it out and the cancer would be gone..if they didnt see any cancer then they would close him up and all was good.  so either way we could feel confident.

we have to wait 8 more weeks for final scans!  so it will be a little over 12 weeks since treatment ended.  my guy is part of a clinical trial so this is their protocol.

be well,

~meesh

My ENT had told me that the cancer cells can be gone but the lymph nodes themselves are still there and perhaps have not/will not go back to their pre-malignancy size-hence the followup dissection for so many people. They can then LOOK at the nodes and remove any or all of them. I'm assuming he hasn't had a dissection? I also believe that scar tissue can be so deceiving. Unfortunatley there always seems to be something to be worried or stressed about! So easy to say and hard to do-but you really have to be patient & go through the waiting.. I do agree his 'bedside' manner has alot to be desired! Dr's and caregivers must have empathy also to do a good job (in my humble opinion) Best of luck! Gayle 

Thanks all! You dont know how much better I felt after reading your messages.  I guess that we will be gun shy so to speak for quite a while.  I think someone had said that after this even a broken toe nail causes worry for a little while after this.

 According to his ENT the surgery wasnt an option because of the location of his tumor.  Maybe now that it is a lot smaller who knows but as far as I know he did not and won't be having he neck dissection.

As far as the radiation oncologist, he really wasn't that bad usually, I was really surprised at him.  The first time we saw him he was so attentive and made sure all our questions were answered.  As he got farther into the treatments our visit consisted of "Hey Brother", feel the neck "your doing good", exit.  I honestly don't care as long as the cancer is gone.  He can call me a donkey for all I care, just get rid of the damn cancer!

Thanks for the messages, I read them to my sister in law over the phone last night and were both smiling from ear to ear.  Our minds are eased and that is really what I needed.  Thanks so much!

Have a great day!

Brandi, you guys sound like you were at my Oncologist!  At first was very informative and attentive, and then my Monday morning doctor days went like "Hey bubba...how ya doing?" That was it and it was very comforting when I got the bill for those nice Monday morning "consultations".....839.00 for each one of the 7 of them!  I'm in the wrong business.

And just remember guys...you have a couple of crappy weeks ahead..but don't get down, you'll make the turn after that..and the most important thing is....congratulations!