CancerCompass message board discussion started by thnkfl2balive on 8/17/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15404,0.htm Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ 8-22-05 was my last day of radiation therapy, so I'm almost at my 2yr anniversary. Doc is very excited,although I still have to see him every 3mo. Anyway I just wanted to say I am so glad to have found this website. I have searched for someone who could understand what I've been through and still am experiencing.I am very thankful to God for getting me through chemo/radiation and all side effects. I know He is always with me and still helping me cope with what little side effects I still have,but it is still important to share with someone who can understand. I just recently found out about "chemo fog". Now I don't feel like I'm going crazy (too much anyway). Has anyone else experienced this? Any sore throat, cough, pain etc... gets my family so stressed and worried that it has come back, and honestly I find myself constantly looking at my throat in the mirror with a flashlight "just in case", anyone else? I have two teen boys and I keep telling them it won't come back but sometimes I wonder. I have always had a great deal of faith and I am upset with myself for those moments of doubt. I'm sorry for rambling on so much, thank you for "listening" and for sharing your experiences. I think more support for H&N cancer patients is needed. thnkfl2balive Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT  On 8/17/2007 thnkfl2balive wrote:8-22-05 was my last day of radiation therapy, so I'm almost at my 2yr anniversary. Doc is very excited,although I still have to see him every 3mo. Anyway I just wanted to say I am so glad to have found this website. I have searched for someone who could understand what I've been through and still am experiencing.I am very thankful to God for getting me through chemo/radiation and all side effects. I know He is always with me and still helping me cope with what little side effects I still have,but it is still important to share with someone who can understand. I just recently found out about "chemo fog". Now I don't feel like I'm going crazy (too much anyway). Has anyone else experienced this? Any sore throat, cough, pain etc... gets my family so stressed and worried that it has come back, and honestly I find myself constantly looking at my throat in the mirror with a flashlight "just in case", anyone else? I have two teen boys and I keep telling them it won't come back but sometimes I wonder. I have always had a great deal of faith and I am upset with myself for those moments of doubt. I'm sorry for rambling on so much, thank you for "listening" and for sharing your experiences. I think more support for H&N cancer patients is needed.I'm another tonsil cancer survivor.  I  finished treatment for tonsil cancer at the end of last October - radio and chemo.  I am one of the few who has made it back to work full time and also survived the whole treatment without a feeding tube.   I lost nearly two stone in weight, but I was on a diet anyway and was delighted to fit into size 12 jeans for the first time for 25 years!!Main lasting side effect has been a dry mouth, which is inconvenient, but better than dying!!  I can't eat spicy food, but can manage some Chinese dishes such as chop suey. It's no big deal.  I recommend the book "50- essential things to do when the doctor says it's cancer"and be positive.  Treat every obstacle as another thing you've successfully overcome.  It can be done!!!  Definitely more support for Head and Neck cancer patients needed.  I asked about support groups and there were absolutely none.  Bye for now.  Chris    suedebottom Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 8/17/2007 thnkfl2balive wrote:8-22-05 was my last day of radiation therapy, so I'm almost at my 2yr anniversary. Doc is very excited,although I still have to see him every 3mo. Anyway I just wanted to say I am so glad to have found this website. I have searched for someone who could understand what I've been through and still am experiencing.I am very thankful to God for getting me through chemo/radiation and all side effects. I know He is always with me and still helping me cope with what little side effects I still have,but it is still important to share with someone who can understand. I just recently found out about "chemo fog". Now I don't feel like I'm going crazy (too much anyway). Has anyone else experienced this? Any sore throat, cough, pain etc... gets my family so stressed and worried that it has come back, and honestly I find myself constantly looking at my throat in the mirror with a flashlight "just in case", anyone else? I have two teen boys and I keep telling them it won't come back but sometimes I wonder. I have always had a great deal of faith and I am upset with myself for those moments of doubt. I'm sorry for rambling on so much, thank you for "listening" and for sharing your experiences. I think more support for H&N cancer patients is needed.Hi I am 9 months post treatment and always have at the back of my mind that the cancer could return.  I have a strong faith in God and know that He got me through my treatment but He never guaranteed I wouldn't see bad days (or cancer) again - just that He would be there for me when I had them.  I had a  PEG tube and had a lot of difficulty getting back to eating.  I went through swallowing therapy with vita-stim as well as exercises and managed to get back to eating - that is, my new normal for eating.  I also can no longer tolerate spicy or hot foods.  I was raised by a father that believed it wasn't hot until steam came out of your ears so I loved hot and spicy.  Well, no more - I tried a spicy chicken sandwich from Wendys 2 weeks ago and after one bite I was coughing so hard I could barely breath.  For the second time my dear hubby traded foods with me (the first time was with gravy and biscuits - gravy had been made w/ spicy sausage in it).  Steak is now a food of my past.  It still takes me forever to eat - although my daughter pointed out yesterday that I was doing much better than 3 or 4 months ago.  As for fearing a reoccurrence - about 6 weeks ago I began to regress with my eating.  I once again was choking on certain foods that I had managed to get back to eating.  I was also clearing my throat a lot - just like before my diagnosis.  It scared me to death - all I could think was "Please, I can't face that mask again so soon."  I called my oncologist who just said to come into the office on my regular check up and they would do a CT scan at that time.  My next appointment was only about 3 wks away so I waited - praying daily that it wasn't a reoccurrence.  I went in - had my blood work up and then my CT scan and waited to see my oncologist.  He came in - all smiles and said that the blood work looked great and the CT scan showed no sign of any cancer.  I then went to see the doctor who inserted my PEG tube and his first question was "What has changed around the time you started having trouble?"  Well, let's see - we came back from our home in FL to our home in IL.  aha - light bulb - I had allergies before my bout with cancer so why not afterward - it's the right time of the year.  I have flowers around my house in IL whereas I didn't have in FL.  At the same time the light bulb was going off Dr V says "I think it is environmental".  Really!  Talk about feeling ridiculous!  As I read various others posts on other boards of this forum I feel so fortunate that since I had to be diagnosed with cancer, it was cancer of the tonsil.  The prognosis is so much more positive than some who have other types of cancer.  I personally believe this forum is one of the best support groups that anyone could ever ask for.  There is always someone online at the time we post or shortly after that will answer a question for us.  We can also share our experiences in the hope they help others who are now going through where we've already been.  Where else could we belong to a group that would encompass not only people from the U.S. but people from other countries as well?  AND we never have to leave home to attend a meeting. I wish everyone the very best - strange as it sounds - I feel a bond with everyone here that has made the same journey as I have.  Diana Dlynn1210 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT