13/ As a result of the radiation treatment I have permanent dry mouth, stiff throat and neck muscles and some difficulty swallowing but it's all manageable. I've gained back all the weight I lost and my energy is back. It's time to get on with life with a new sense of #gratitude
12/ I've had two good follow-ups so far. My next one is two days from now. They'll run a scope down my throat. With no sign of recurrence so far, I feel more relieved after each appointment. I'm not out of the woods yet but it gets easier to deal with the uncertainty every day.
11/ On June 20th I got the results of my first post-treatment CT scan. Neither of my tumors were detectable. Beside the birth of my kids, it was the most emotional day of my life. I marked the occasion with the tweet below.
xitter.cf/RobLantz/status/153897…
10/ My medical care from beginning to end was top notch. Physicians, nurses, technicians, oncologists, admin staff, volunteers; everyone was professional, kind and caring. Being PEI some of these people are friends and neighbors. We even managed to have a few laughs along the way
9/ I couldn't have done it without the support of family and friends, especially my boys and my wife Kelly who was by my side the whole time. It's a life changing experience and I feel an immediate connection to anyone who has, or is, or will go through cancer treatment.
8/ Fatigue, nausea, pain, difficulty eating, weight loss, radiation burns and various side-effects from all the drugs. It was not pleasant. I was on morphine and dilaudid by April to conrol the pain. Recovery was long and slow but a year later I'm finally feeling 100% again.
7/ In February I began a grueling regimen of chemotherapy and radiation. My oncologist said "I'm not going lie it's going to be hell." Actor Michael Douglas had the same treatment which he described accurately. His tumor was HPV-related. Preferable to my squamous cell carcinoma.
6/ After I received the news a year ago, what followed was a flurry of exams, CT scans, consultations, surgery, and preparation for treatment. They found the primary tumor in the "left pyriform fossa/inferior aryepiglottic fold". It had spread from there to my lymph node.
Stage 3
5/ I'm reasonably young, health conscious, very physically fit, watch what I eat, non-smoker. Everyone was surprised. The pathologist said "the findings are unexpected." Some things can't be explained. Life is a dice roll. Sometimes you win the lottery, sometimes you get cancer
