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You are here : Cancer Blog > Tonsil Cancer Blog > Pat C's Cancer Blog

Vital Info

Name:
Pat C (cavy)

Member Since:
May 6, 2011

Home page:
Click here.

Location:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Birthday:
October 8, 1957

Profile:
Cancer Fighter

Cancer Info

Type of Cancer:
Tonsil Cancer

Diagnosis Date:
January 17, 2011

Stage of Cancer:
Stage 4

Lymph Node Involvement:
Yes

Surgery:
Tonsillectomy

Radiation:
Radiation Therapy

Chemotherapy:
Cisplatin (Platinol, Platinol-AQ)

What I Hate Most About Cancer:
The 'surprise attack' nature of the disease

What I Have Learned From Cancer:
You can't dodge the inevitable

Things My Supporters Can Do To Help:
They have done everything

Alternative Cancer Treatment:
None

Cancer Drugs Positives & Negatives:
Appreication for Health and Food and basic human senses and needs

Metastasized? Where?:
Lymph node N-1 and / or N-2

Cancer Center:
Butler Regional Cancer Center

Tips for others on how to deal with the physical side effects of chemo/cancer:
Get the feeding tube early. You will not be eating after a few weeks of radiation.

Tips for others on how to deal with the mental struggles of chemo/cancer:
Allow yourself to vent the frustration

End of Treatment Date:
April 28, 2011

Tonsil Cancer Symptoms:

Ongoing sore thoat – Was thought to be infection, then abscess then tonsil stone. Not until tonsilectomy was cancer discovered.

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects:

January 17, 2011 – Tonsilectomy – Ouch for 2 weeks lost 10 pounds but got through it.

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

February 25 started 1 of 39 neck radiation.
28 full neck radiations and 11 right side (cancer side) radiation. Mucousitus at 3 weeks. Lost taste and salivary at week 2. Thrush at week 2. Feeding tube at week 3. Took 1 week off (week 5) due to throwing up for 7 days. Could not swallow very early and throat trashed way too early. Couldn’t use Caphasol, “Magic Swizzle” numbing meds couldn’t get down.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

February 25, 2011 – Cysplatin (Cisplatyn) I don’t know
4 of 8 weeks only as it ruined my throat way early and did it’s job – according to the dr.

Hormone Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

None

Bone Marrow Transplant Description, Dates & Side Effects:

None

Immune Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

None

Fundraising Description:

Worthington Fire Department and my band students held a spaghetti dinner for my extra food and medical expenses – What a wonderful gift. I thought all those band kids hated me for being strict and somewhat “Irish Tempermental”

Clinical Trials:

None

Stats

Posts: 34

Photos: 4

Events: 0

My Supporters: 48

I Support: 61

Comments: 604

Pat C's Cancer Blog

One YEAR!!! and 2 days?

Well, Here I am a year after treatment. It seems like yesterday. I’m lucky to be alive, I’m lucky to have the cancer I had (sounds kinda stupid but true). I just went to a funeral of a friend who’s wife died of one of the many types of cancer…she was 51. Another formere co-worker of mine has been diagnosed with a cancer that has gone so far as she has no surgery available – giving her a low chance of survival…she had no reason to get the cancer she has and where she has it…no risk factor – 1 in 15% of the population.

Yes, I’d say I’m lucky so far. Mouth is still dry but workable. Food like bread is still a bear to eat but hell, I can still eat it. Sauce – burns – salad dressing burns – but with a glass or 2 of water – I can still eat it.

I had Pizza Hut Pizza on Thursday and it didn’t burn – even with the pepperoni. I had another local pizza Friday – it burned….what the heck! I weighed 186 last week with my steel toes on so I guess I’m kind of hanging on to my basic weight.

Next PT Scan in July – news to follow.
Tonsil Cancer – Tough treatment but treatable and cureable.
I see a few still struggling with 2nd and third bouts of cancer returning so I will always remain thankful and vigilant. Here’s to the present survivors and the fighters – even if you’re losing the battle now…a toast to your spirit and toughness!

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:09:02 AM by Pat C (One YEAR!!! and 2 days?, 9 comments, 439 views)

Scottie sent you a prayer.

Sandyjo sent you a hug.

Congratulations! Always good to read about the good news!

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:15:26 AM by Private User

I guess we’re all lucky we made it through the treatment and all still here. Swallowing will never really be the same for any of us, but, we’re eating! It’s good to know you’re doing well. Regards, Frank

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:20:10 AM by Frank Baldizan

Hi:) nice update! Thx! Karen

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:10:20 PM by Private User

Wonderful news ! It’s true , you hear so much on here and it makes one so grateful. God bless!

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 1:01:10 PM by Private User

Happy Birthday! Like mentioned, it’s difficult to eat some things, I like the pepperoni too, but burns. Drinking it with beer or soda makes it worse ad i found out lol. I think drinking milk helps with spice sensitivity, but milk with pizza? Keep up the good work.

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:01:47 PM by Paul

Good news! Johnny can’t eat the spicy foods he used to love, but he loves being able to eat, and today, that’s enough. 186? That’s awesome!

Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:18:17 PM by John's Wife

Awesome, can’t wait to hit that mark. Glad all is going well.

Posted on May 1, 2012 at 3:08:52 AM by Vince

Congratulations on making the one-year mark! And thanks for posting. It is always helpful for us in treatment and recovery to see that there is life after cancer. Sending big prayers of thanks up for your continued recovery! You are such a blessing to us all!

Scottie

Posted on May 2, 2012 at 12:54:11 PM by Scottie

AMEN TO THAT!

Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:02:27 AM by Tom D

I was gonna wait buttttttt!!

Sorry this ended up being long!

I was going to wait until April 28th (1 year last treatments) but had to take a minute here since I’m off school for a week (Easter Break, Snow Make up Days, and no snow days this year for the 1st time in 20 years) so while reading the tonsil cancer posts – it brought back the memories. I cannot believe some of you are in the thick of your treatments and it’s been almost a year for me???? I had to look back at these dates in my journal (my wife started cause I was mad, miserable, and didn’t want to elaborate on the bad memories)> I started picking up on the journal as I was home and bored more during treatment. 1 year ago today – I was “sick as hell” “No Voice” “throwing up” cancelled radiations cause of the mucous and dehydration…worse yet, I still had 20 treatments to go. It was by far the worst week of treatment. I still have to read that stuff every once-in-awhile to convince myself that it really happened a year ago. I so hope the other “oral cancer” survivors can get to healing and eating so much sooner than I did or can. My sugar flavor recognition is just now starting to come back to somewhat normal. The back of my mouth and throat (mostly on the cancer side – extra surgery) feels coarse and rough like calloused so I’m not normal – never was I guess (that’s a joke folks) Stuff still burns my throat – vinegar, red sauce, pepperoni etc…it ‘pisses me off’ but is still just an inconvenience. I still have to post on April 28th if I have time from work.

I just finished my school production in the auditorium. Swept and mopped the stage floor and changed light bulbs and theater lighting lamps. This is what I had no part of last year while going through treatment. I embraced the extra work load this year and basically stayed 3 weeks all day and evenings at school and on the weekends to work on things like light design, helping the scenic builder with stuff and clean up this week post production. I was sooooo lucky to see it through from start to finish after being out of the loop last year. The best part was my light board being disabled the week before the show (damn computer driven systems) so I had to rent one for the show week. In the old days – I’d crap myself and bitch and moan – this year – my plan was “simply take care of the problem” and it was last years situation that enabled me to be somewhat calm and organized.
Good luck to all of you – especially the throat/oral cancer people – our treatment sucks but remember: some of our cancer friends have it way worse than we do and I love and respect all of your tribulations.

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:03:08 AM by Pat C (I was gonna wait buttttttt!!, 7 comments, 707 views)

6 people like this.

Congratulation on your first year! It is good to reflect, which always amazes you what you had to go through to get here. I kept no journal, other than posting here. I started off with a big spiral book for notes and was writing down all the docs and meds, but that didn’t last long once I really got sick. Keep enjoying!

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:27:09 AM by Paul

It seems like so long ago doesn’t it Pat? Almost like a bad dream. Then you read back at your old posts and you remember what you went through and how really awful it was. But, we all got through it and here we all are today.

Going through this does change you. You get more calm. Bad situations don’t get to you like before and you calmly work through them. I hope your throat feels better with time. Spicy foods will take a bit more time. I’m 2 years out and I can eat them now. A year ago I was still having trouble with them. Glad you’re doing so well bud. Regards, Frank

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 8:29:41 AM by Frank Baldizan

I love this post. Glad you’re doing good. I had good results too last Friday. My doctor considers me “cured” Good luck in school. Looking forward to your next post :)

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:06:40 AM by Laurie

Congradulations! I’m glad you are doing so well and could do s much as you did for the play. To me, that is amazing!
It reminds me that I need to work on my energy level.
It is weird that Pittsburgh had no days off for snow! Our worst snow was the end of October! (Hershey, Pa area)

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 12:51:47 PM by Sandyjo

Thanks for posting, Pat. I learned so much by reading Paul’s postings and yours while I was in treatment. I’m glad to hear you are doing well!

I’m especially glad to hear your sweet tooth is coming back!

Scottie

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:46:51 PM by Scottie

Thanks Pat. It’s great for folks like me who are in the middle of treatments to here that our cancer generally has a good ending. Thanks for the post and I definitely look forward to writing a similar post a year and 4 weeks from now.

Posted on April 4, 2012 at 5:40:47 PM by James

Congradulations on one year! Glad you were able to enjoy this years’ production.You are so right when you talk about not getting upset.I find so many things that would have seriously rattled me , rolling off my back ,like water off a duck.
Life just looks different now and will never be same again.

Posted on April 6, 2012 at 3:56:38 PM by Tom D