burtgoldin's Journey with Head & Neck/Throat Cancer
Survivor: Head & Neck/Throat Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment more than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: about 15 years ago, Male, Age: 65, Stage IVA
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Experience Icon Descriptions
Procedure: Drag this icon to show a procedure.
Radiation: Drag this icon to show a specific radiation therapy experience.
Drug Therapy: Drag this icon to show a specific drug therapy experience.
Clinical Trial: Drag this icon to show a clinical trial experience.
Side Effect: Drag this icon to show experience with a specific side effect.
Oh No: Drag this icon to show when something bad happened (e.g., cancer’s back, lost job).
Celebration: Drag this icon to show when something good happened (e.g., last treatment, hair is back).
Loss: Drag this icon to show a time of loss (e.g., lost hair, lost loved one).
Decision Point: Drag this icon to show a time when you had to make a tough decision.
Other Care: Draft this icon to show a time when you needed other care (e.g., hospice, psychotherapy).
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Diagnosed
Oh No
This person has yet to add any details about this experience.
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Having cancer has changed every aspect of my life. There were so many things that I did without ever giving a thought to them that now must be carefully weighed out and planned. There is no comparison between my life pre and post cancer and Im not the same person I was before.
Drug or Chemo Therapy
This person has yet to add any details about this experience.
External radiation
Radiation
Radiation is the worst kind of torture I can Imagine. I was radiated from my sinus to my collarbone 5 days a week for 6 week, a total of 29 treatments. At one point all the skin peeled off my neck in sheets and my wife had to rub silvadene cream into the wound to help the blood coagulate and so I wouldn't ooze blood everywhere I went. A mesh mask was made for me so that my head would be in the same position for each treatment. There were 4 holes for bolt saround the edge of the mask and my head was bolted to the table for each treatment. Above me there was a fluorescent light fixture with a beach scene as it's cover. After 2 weeks I asked for it to be turned off so I could have the treatment in relative darkness and the techs allowed my request. Radiation was a horrible experience. 6 years later the back of my throat is still red as a result, I've lost all but 5 of my teeth due to chronic dry mouth and I still experience pain that keeps me from eating normally. But I'm still standing
Finished treatment
Celebration
July 3 2006 was the last day I took chemo and radiation treatment. I celebrate it as my personal independence day. On the occasion of the first anniversary I went back and visited all the doctors and techs involved which was an overwhelming emotional experience. When I got to the nuclear oncologist's office I cried like a baby as I embraced each of the people involved in my treatment. Reflecting on the experience I realized that the reason that I cried was because i could go o the doctor's office and leave and he could no longer cause me any pain