Hello, CUP - neck dissection next week

Hi Bridget Sorry you’ve joined our club that none of us wanted to join. I too had no symptoms no sore throat no issues swallowing I was 61 and the fittest  I had ever been. cancer was the furthest thing from my mind i thought cycling in windy weather thought I had pulled a muscle How wrong was I ! I wasn’t CUP eventually mei and pet ct scan  discovered mine in my tonsillar crypt. Not being in control I can totally get I did my blog which was the only thing I could control.Everything x for your op keep off dr Google and ask us in here one if us will always get back to you. 
Hazel x

Hi Hazel, thank you for your response. I am mostly positive. Doing yoga most days, ( practising for over 20 years) and meditation seems to help. Sometimes I struggle with my breath most recently because of anxiety but that is to be expected. Also in to mantras and started a journal. I love my recent song choices too, to match how I am feeling. Today is Iggy Pop, I am a passenger. 

Just turned 50 and the trend for people living with cancer is set to rise.  Thank you for listing some of the side effects, helpful and I have made a note.

The stress of cancer effects us right from diagnosis, right now I am trying to navigate through lots of information to not knowing what is next.  A journey I cannot escape. Thank you for your response. 

p.s Guilty of Dr Google! 

take care x

Hi Hazel 

3 Years ago, whist shaving noticed the gland i my throat was swollen after 3 weeks it had not gone away and saw a specialist who miss diagnosed my condition via an ultrasound and said everything was okay and it will go away. 3 weeks later it was still there so saw my doctor who quickly arranged to see a different specialist. He was not happy as the delay was crucial as he looked inside with a camera and noticed i had a large growth under the base of my tongue in a very awkward place. He ran scans and said unfortunately it was huge and at the top end of size, so he sent me for 6 weeks of Radiography and chemo.

As you can see you are not alone, and you are right cancer is on the increase fast. the good news it is no more a death sentence. a couple of quick pointers. apart from cancer your biggest enemy is stress. It does you no good and may cause a heart attack or stroke which is the last thing you need to fight this monster and believe me it is a fight mine has been for 3 years and it is finally realising i am never going to stop fighting it and it realises it cannot win and is starting to give up. Consider yourself very fortunate as you and meditation is what you are going to need bucket loads of. At the 1st sign of stress stop do a short piece of mediation clear your mind and only think happy thoughts. I am trying desperately to learn to meditate and have now been given a therapist to try to help my help me meditate, relax and easy my overactive mind and body.

If you want to know more, you can look at my blog or please feel free to contact me. I am 71 and very happy and so positive about my future.

Hello Bridget. A welcome from me too. What an absolutely horrid shock for you. At least most of us have something to show for our worries and it's usually a swollen lymph node in the neck. It at least prepares you for what it might be. I'll tag one of our members, Peter, PFJTHS who has an ongoing CUP similar to the one you describe. His primary was found and lost so he is still CUP but fingers crossed they find yours. Has the swollen lymph node been biopsied?

I had cancer the at the base of my tongue which was successfully treated with Radiotherapy and three plus years later I'm happily enjoying life as I did before cancer. Stan with us. You'll feel a lot better once you know and once there is a plan in place.

Good luck

Zoot said:

If you want to know more, you can look at my blog or please feel free to contact me

Have you got a link to that?

BridgetJ said:

p.s Guilty of Dr Google! 

PS

Google can be pretty useful if you know where to look. Any hospital sites, here and abroad especially USA, plus our NHS are pretty safe and accurate. The rest can be suspect and full of inaccurate alarmist rubbish so do take care.

I do have a list of safe sites if you want to PM me

Hi BridgetJ.  I'm a little pushed for time until Monday, but just so you know I will respond when I've a few minutes as Dani has tagged me

Hi.  I have a diagnosis of CUP.  I  had a neck dissection and was diagnosed in 2020 with Squamous cell secondary cancer in the lymph nodes. No other organs affected  I underwent six rounds of chemotherapy treatment over six months.   I then was clear for 9 months. I'm scanned every three months. In January of this year once again lymph nodes swollen on scan, so another six months of chemo..finished may this year.  Last scans clear...next due December. CUP can be a very difficult diagnosis to get your head around BUT it's not a death sentence, yes I've had two lots of chemo but I'm basically well.  Dr Google is not your friend with any cancer, it's definitely not your friend with a CUP diagnosis.  There is a CUP section on here. Feel free to message anytime. Let us know what the results are x

Thank you Zoot, I will remember your advice when I am  feeling a little stressed and will think of happy thoughts. If my operation goes ahead next week, I will not be able to do yoga for a while but can turn to breathing. X

Hello, no problem. Thank you