I'm Still Here

[KDaddy23]

Back in September, I was diagnosed with cancer. Okay; no need to lose my shit - let's get it taken care of! A plan was created and I got one chemo treatment under my belt before... everything went straight to hell. The tumor in my neck basically corroded and a simple mild cough started me bleeding out and according to my lady, it wasn't looking good for me.

Still here. Take cancer as seriously as you can; get diagnosed and treated and hope that you never go through what I did. This doesn't have anything to do with being bisexual but you can't be this way if you're not around, right?

[Luv3wayfun]

Yes, I?m glad you are still here!
I had a dark spot above my mustache (I?m blonde and now gray) and a biopsy showed basal cell carcinoma. Had that removed in June 2023, not too bad. They biopsied another spot below my left eye, looked like a tiny pimple that wouldn?t heal.
July 26 was the second surgery, they took some out, analyzed it, came back and said we have to go deeper. Took that, analyzed it and said we are deep enough (4mm) and said we have to go wider. So I ended up with a chunk out of my left upper cheek about the size of a quarter squished into an oval and damn near to the bone. They had to call in the ear nose and throat team to do facial reconstruction on my left cheek.
Fortunately they said they got it all and 3.5 months later it isn?t very noticeable if I don?t say anything to people.

FUCK CANCER!!!

[DD788Snipe]

Damn it KDaddy. I never like to hear this crap. Okay, I know it sounds bad. I'm a stage 4 cancer survivor. Diagnosed at the end of 2010. Metastatic Squamous cell carcinoma on the base of my tongue and had moved to the limp nodes in my neck below my left ear. 33 nasty radiation treatments with 3 heavy-duty cisplatin chemo treatments along with them. It was hell my friend. I'm a tough guy but that kicked my ass. By the end, I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't walk across the room. I was on a feeding tube because the radiation burnt my throat so bad I couldn't swallow or talk. With all that said. I'm still here. I know more about the demon than I want but knowledge is power my friend. It's not a death sentence and it can be conquered and eliminated. It is up to you. I can help if you wish so PM me if you want. The open forum isn't a good place to discuss this shit. BTW I'm still at war. I had 2 surgeries at the end of "21" to remove a tumor from my tongue and part of it then the second was to remove what was left of the limp nodes in my neck. Hope I didn't scare you too much. Not my intention. Just trying to help a friend out. Be strong

[DD788Snipe]

BTW I've pretty much recovered and I'm as normal as I can be. At least normal for me. Lol

[Long Duck Dong]

Had a friend diagnosed with bowel cancer a couple of months ago, its been caught early enough that its easily treated.
They said to the specialist, will I still be able to be fucked by monster cocks?, the specialist was lost for words.

I have a friend that has cancer and they laugh about it, much to peoples shock.....then he tells them the truth, 37 operations, endless chemo and radiation, and hes been told hes cancer free 5 times...
He calls it his stalker ex cos it will not leave him alone......and while people struggle with his sense of humor, as he says, his sense of humor is going to die with him, not before him.
As he said to a nurse one day, everybody who has drunk water, has died or is going to die, not everybody with cancer, has died because of it, so logically he should be more scared of water than cancer....

Anyways, Kdaddy, hope all goes well with the treatment

[KDaddy23]

The cancer has been deemed to be curable so there's that and, right now, is the 'least' of my problems: It's the feeding tube and the tracheotomy that had to be done that's really messing with my head and is taking a lot to get adjusted to. I had two chemo sessions while cooped up in the hospital and #4 will be this coming Monday but my concern is the radiation part of the deal - even my oncologist made a bad face when I asked her how bad was it going to be... and bad enough that I'll be stuck with my feeding tube and tracheotomy for quite a while longer.

Still, it's good to be around to "complain" about it...

[NJwood]

Glad to hear you’re fighting it. Yes, the treatment side effects suck but, as you said, it’s good to be around to complain! Good luck!

[elian2]

I'm glad to hear that it is a curable diagnosis, I will have to nuzzle you extra hard this time. Hang in there buddy, I will pray for you and your family.

[Neonaught]

I feel you sir! I went through 2 bouts with Squamous Cell Carcinoma starting in 2010. Primary site was hidden behind my right tonsil and through the efforts of neglectful ENT Dr, it went to Stage 4 and invaded my neck. I was finally correctly diagnosed, had a tonsilectomy and went through chemo and radiation. It was NOT fun! The rad burned my neck until it cracked open. The chemo was fairly gentle. I got the feeding tube after I lost 6 pounds in 4 days. I simply could not eat since everything I put in my mouth tasted indescribably foul. I went in at 265 lbs and came out in remission at 160 lbs. I entered remission and started to rebuild.

Just over 4 years later it came back on the right margin of my tongue and in the wall of my throat where the tonsil was. I consulted a brilliant surgeon and he split my jaw so that my lower face opened like a book and removed the cancer. A slab of muscle and blood vessels were harvested from my left thigh and used to patch the defect and my jaw was reassembled. Another feeding tube! Yay!!!

Due to the method of the surgery, it was clear I was going to lose several of my front lower teeth (I could pull them out and put them back in!). Unfortunately, I consulted a bed dentist who had no idea how to deal with post-radiation cases and he proceeded to pull 8 teeth and failed to send me for the required hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments that should have been done both before and after the extractions. Fast forward 2 years and I developed Osteoradionecrosis that made my jaw start to dissolve. That was finally diagnosed with X-rays showing a walnut-sized hole in my jaw. Back to the surgeons who removed 2/3's of my lower jaw and constructed a new one from my right Fibula. First surgery on bout #1 was 12 hours and the 2nd was 16 hours. After I recovered, the dental implants and permanent dental plate took another 4 years of work to complete. I remain in remission since then and can eat fairly normally, though it requires a lot more effort and time to eat a simple burger and fries than a regular guy.

Stay hopeful! Stay as well-nourished as you can with plenty of extra protein for healing and know that this IS a survivable disease! My cancer was caused by the HPV virus, which to my knowledge I never had any signs of. My Dr explained that 85% of the US gets HPV and never even realize it since their immune system kills it. Unfortunately, there are several variants of HPV that, instead of causing Genital Warts, cause Cervical cancers in women and head and neck cancers in men. Folks please vaccinate your kids well before they become sexually active!!! My biggest deficit (to me anyway) is that I can't extend my tongue past my front teeth or open wide enough to fit two stacked finger between my teeth and it plays hell with giving oral sex, which I dearly loved to do. Small price to pay but it is a price. Stay positive and let me know if you need any advice.

[KDaddy23]

Yeah, apparently, mine is HPV-related and involved my right tonsil as well. When asked about the stage of things, no one had anything to say about it which, I dunno, on the one hand was okay because knowing there was a stage probably would have triggered a freak-out on my part but, on the other, maybe they didn't know the answer to the question. I'd met with my oncology team and I'd asked them the same question I'd asked the ENT who made the diagnosis: Is removing my tonsils going to be part of the treatment? They were all looking at each other and the surgeon starts talking about that not being an option because they'd have to split my mandible which could cause problems down the road and I'm thinking, "WTF? Since when did a tonsillectomy get that fucking complicated?"

They decided not to do chemo and radiation at the same time and, again, it's the radiation part that I'm dreading more than anything else; I just have the "advantage" of having the feeding tube and tracheotomy already in place. Yes, this is not only survivable but mine has been deemed to be curable versus palliative - and at my visit with my oncologist, she was very happy that after palpitating the shit out of my neck and throat, she couldn't feel anything and is very optimistic for a positive outcome.

[biguycancun]

Just learning about this. Needless to say I'm pulling for you, wishing you a speedy response and a quick, comfortable recovery. Stay strong and positive. The role of attitude during and after treatment cannot be underestimated.

[Luv3wayfun]

KDaddy23 I believe we are all pulling for you to get through this successfully!!
Other than that I have one other thing to say on this subject:

​FUCK CANCER!!!

[DD788Snipe]

Yeah, apparently, mine is HPV-related and involved my right tonsil as well. When asked about the stage of things, no one had anything to say about it which, I dunno, on the one hand was okay because knowing there was a stage probably would have triggered a freak-out on my part but, on the other, maybe they didn't know the answer to the question. I'd met with my oncology team and I'd asked them the same question I'd asked the ENT who made the diagnosis: Is removing my tonsils going to be part of the treatment? They were all looking at each other and the surgeon starts talking about that not being an option because they'd have to split my mandible which could cause problems down the road and I was thinking, "WTF? Since when did a tonsillectomy get that fucking complicated?"

They decided not to do chemo and radiation at the same time and, again, it's the radiation part that I'm dreading more than anything else; I just have the "advantage" of having the feeding tube and tracheotomy already in place. Yes, this is not only survivable but mine has been deemed to be curable versus palliative - and at my visit with my oncologist, she was very happy that after palpitating the shit out of my neck and throat, she couldn't feel anything, and is very optimistic for a positive outcome.

Good info. Sounds like your team had a handle on it. Just a note before I forget. The docs won't tell you much. They don't like giving bad news is the way it was explained to me by his nurse. Talk to the nurses. Mine were amazing and very helpful. The feeding tube is definitely on the right track. I'll PM you why. It's a good thing your oncologist is doing the treatments separately. Stay strong my friend.

[Neonaught]

Keep us updated and stay strong! In my case, they did the chemo first and then the rad. Rad was tedious but not terribly painful, plus I had all the pain meds I needed. I just hope it doesn't come back since I took so much Hydrocondone that I am not allergic to all the opioids so would have nothing.

[KDaddy23]

I hope it doesn't come back, too, and that after all of this, they get every single cancer cell out of my neck.

[cornholejoe]

i have been fighting stage 2 lung cancer for a year now so far all is going well

[KDaddy23]

Had the fourth of six chemo treatments today and it went well and I'm feeling pretty good...

[DD788Snipe]

QUOTE=KDaddy23;378657]Had the fourth of six chemo treatments today and it went well and I'm feeling pretty good...[/QUOTE]

You're a Warrior

[DD788Snipe]

KDaddy your PM box is full. That's a good thing.
https://www.hipforums.com/forum/forum/413-bisexual/

You're always welcome there too my friend.

[KDaddy23]

KDaddy your PM box is full. That's a good thing.
https://www.hipforums.com/forum/forum/413-bisexual/

You're always welcome there too my friend.

I fixed the fullness issue - and thanks for the link!

[Neonaught]

When you get ready to start radiation they will probably make a molded plastic sarcophagus that will be clamped over your upper body and had you still in the right position for the beams to hit the target area. I highly recommend getting a larger Aloe Vera cactus and using the gel interior of the peeled leaves to apply to your burns. It is both soothing and helps with healing.

[TRICK69]

GOD BLESS

[DD788Snipe]

When you get ready to start radiation they will probably make a molded plastic sarcophagus that will be clamped over your upper body and had you still in the right position for the beams to hit the target area. I highly recommend getting a larger Aloe Vera cactus and using the gel interior of the peeled leaves to apply to your burns. It is both soothing and helps with healing.

It's a full face mask that is heated then molded to you head. It fastens to the table to hold your head still. Then the radiation tech will move the table around till you body is lined up based on the P. E. T. scan. Then they tattoo a small dot below your neck. That will be used to line you up with two crossing laser beams for each of your treatments.

[KDaddy23]

It's a full face mask that is heated then molded to you head. It fastens to the table to hold your head still. Then the radiation tech will move the table around till you body is lined up based on the P. E. T. scan. Then they tattoo a small dot below your neck. That will be used to line you up with two crossing laser beams for each of your treatments.

This is beginning to sound interestingly complicated...

[DD788Snipe]

It's not Daddy. They try to pin point the Radiation as close to the tumor as possible to minimize the the damage to good cells. When you go for your treatment the tech puts the mask on and lock it down then line your tattoo up in the crosshairs push the button to start the machine and the computer takes over. It takes about 10 minutes each trip. They use the data from your P. E. T. scan and regular CT scan w/contrast dye. I had my own music the tech would play for me during my treatments. Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine". Lol

[KDaddy23]

It's not Daddy. They try to pin point the Radiation as close to the tumor as possible to minimize the the damage to good cells. When you go for your treatment the tech puts the mask on and lock it down then line your tattoo up in the crosshairs push the button to start the machine and the computer takes over. It takes about 10 minutes each trip. They use the data from your P. E. T. scan and regular CT scan w/contrast dye. I had my own music the tech would play for me during my treatments. Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine". Lol

I guess when I meet with the radiation team, they'll tell me how it's gonna work. I can't be scanned with contrast (because of my kidneys) so they'll just have the PET scan to use as a reference.

[Neonaught]

I guess when I meet with the radiation team, they'll tell me how it's gonna work. I can't be scanned with contrast (because of my kidneys) so they'll just have the PET scan to use as a reference.

All of my PET scans were overlayed with a CT scan for anatomical reference and I don't ever recall contrast being used.

[KDaddy23]

All of my PET scans were overlayed with a CT scan for anatomical reference and I don't ever recall contrast being used.

When I got my PET scan, there was no mention of a CT scan being needed; different strokes for different folks?

[KDaddy23]

Just checking in. Had pre-chemo lab work yesterday and drove myself to get it done. I'm finding that getting chemo - and steeling myself for radiation - doesn't bother me as much as the tracheostomy they had to do on me... to save my life. It's literally a pain in the neck and one I'm still having a hard time adjusting to...

[Neonaught]

Just checking in. Had pre-chemo lab work yesterday and drove myself to get it done. I'm finding that getting chemo - and steeling myself for radiation - doesn't bother me as much as the tracheostomy they had to do on me... to save my life. It's literally a pain in the neck and one I'm still having a hard time adjusting to...

agree. I've been trashed twice for both of my surgeries. The hardest part for me was trying to get any sleep due to it. I was lucky in that I had experience in caring for trash patients so I knew how to suction myself and remove and clean the thing. When they do remove the trash you'll be shocked how fast it heals and you get back to normal.