New to the group & struggling emotionally with diagnosis and expected treatment

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Hi everyone - my name is Karen and I was diagnosed with throat cancer a couple of months ago. I had surgery 3 weeks ago where they removed my left tonsil, and part of my throat and surrounding muscle. The surgery was hard and the pain was awful but I got through it. What has broken me is that I went to see the oncologist today and they haven’t been able to remove it all so I need radio and chemo - I knew it was highly likely - I think they said there was an 80% chance I would need it, but I just can’t stop crying and feeling so down about it. I am usually such a strong person and I’m always the one holding everyone else up and it’s just not like me at all. I have to see the dentist at the hospital tomorrow as they think they need 3 x teeth removing as well before they start radiotherapy - I’m just fed up with not all. I know there is no real alternative but it has really hit me hard. 

  • I just want to start with thank you - thank you so much to everyone that responded to my “outcry”. I don’t know what I expected when I posted but it feels like I just got a group of arms put around me and I feel I know have a safe place to express myself without feeling like I am burdening my family with my darker thoughts. 

    Oh Karen....you have just said exactly what this forum is about. We are all in this together and prop each other up. I may be a good few years out of treatment  but together with all of us here, I was where you are now. 

    Don't worry about the tooth. They take it out not because it's in the way of RT but because the radiation weakens the jaw and if a suspect tooth needs to be extracted some years down the line the jaw supporting it won't heal.

    This place IS safe place to be. Say and ask anything you want. Somebody is always around to help.

    Hugs

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

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  • You are so welcome Karen, It's brilliant news that only one tooth is being removed, good luck for Wednesday.

                                                     Chris x

    Its sometimes not easy but its worth it ! 

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  • Hi Karen. We’re all in this together we’ve been there got the t shirt. We help take the pressure of you and your family sometimes they mean well but my sister in law needed to know too much and I found here helped me vent. 
    good luck with extraction and oncology 

    Hazel x

    Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz 

    My blog is www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com  HPV 16+ tonsil cancer Now  6 years  post treatment. 35 radiotherapy 2 chemo T2N2NM.Happily getting on with living always happy to help

    2 videos I’ve been involved with raising awareness of HNC and HPV cancers 

    https://www.instagram.com/merckhealthcare/reel/DBs8Y0niJ8N/

  • Hello Karen, just popping up to say welcome and good luck! The people on here are wonderful aren't they? I found this forum so informative and supportive when I was going through diagnosis and treatment. It's such a horrible time but we get through it. I'm another success story that I hope you can take comfort from. 

    Catriona

    September 2022 aged 63 diagnosed with HPV associated SCC base of tongue T4 N2 M0. Chemo & radiotherapy for 6 weeks ending Nov 2022. Oct 2024 nearly 2 years all clear. See my profile for longer story