10/22/11 Bellied up to a local sports bar table, in between ordering another beer and cheering on Boise State Football, my husband nonchalantly says "by the way, we may have a little issue here with my neck". I put down my drink and looked at the more than obvious lump protruding from the side of his neck. Holy crap, I can't believe I didn't notice it before! Have you ever had an instant realization of knowing something. In that instant my stomach twisted and my heart wrenched. I knew without a doubt he had cancer. Three days later we were sitting in front of an ENT doc listening to him say..."yep, that's pretty big, we need to figure out what this is". I most always appear calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside I'm a mix of Ron White the crude comedian and the neurotic character of DEXTER's sister Deb. So you can imagine the secret dialog inside my head was much different than what actually passed my lips. Politely responding "yep we do" we exited the office and prepared for the next step, whatever that might be.
So after an ultrasound, biopsies, a PET-scan, tonsillectomy with more biopsies, a tooth extraction, another biopsy with ultrasound, insertion of a feeding tube, a pic line, visits with a radiation oncologist, visits with another oncologist, Cat-scan, making of a radiation mask and teeth guards,visits with a dietician, dental visits......oh my gosh, I'm sure I've forgotten something....we sit here today starting treatment.
You'll have to excuse the word "we" I tend to use, I know it is my husband Scott having to go through all this torture, I just tend to lump us together as one unit after 30yrs of togetherness.....until he does or says something absolutely stupid and off the wall, then he is all on his own. Ha ha if you know Scott, then you know what I mean and you're laughing along with me. I love him though and will probably love him even deeper as treatment gets harder and we make it through to the other side of this.
The reason for this blog is to possibly help others who might be starting the path that Scott has now taken his first steps upon. If Head and Neck Cancer has entered your life and you're anything like me, you've been scouring the internet looking at what might be next. There are some real freaky stories out there which leave you quivering in your boots...I'm hoping to not have any of those stories. ha This will be a photo journal with no sugar coating and sprinkles. We will document this journey which the doctor discibed as going to hell and back. The point is, you will see someone make it through to that other side! As bad as it may get, it can be done, has been done, and will be done...easy for me to say, right.
Diagnosis: Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
No Primary site found... affecting left lymph nodes on neck
(What does this mean? They can't find where this cancer started, all biopsies came back negative and the Pet-scan didn't unearth it) I guess a very small % of cancer patients are difficult like this. What happens is that they will widen the scope of treatment area and it will always be a mystery. I always knew he kept secrets!
Treatment: Scott opted to skip surgical extraction of lymph nodes at this time in hopes that Radiation and Chemo will do the job. If after these treatments the nodes are still present, they will do surgery in hopes that they will be much smaller. With the size of the nodes right now, it would be a pretty big surgery with some possible permanent damage....like losing the movement of his left shoulder.
Chemo: Cetuximab trade name of Erbitux once a week for 7 weeks
Radiation: IMRT 35 sessions so everyday Monday through Friday for 7 weeks
Put your big girl/boy panties on cause here we go:
or as Scott likes to say: Nothin can stop the Honey Badger (referring to himself)
This is funny and to understand, you must watch youtube video entitled :
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