I have joined the big C club. Melanoma in the neck.
Seven weeks of radiation therapy starts soon. Wednesday I get my PET scan. The 25th I get a biopsy on my Larynx, then 10 day later I see Hematology/oncology.
They say I am a good candidate, and that it was caught early. They also say I could lose my salivary glands and temporarily my taste buds.
Any tips, pointers, bad jokes?
= new reply since forum marked as read
for all sorts of cancer stuff going on in both research and treatment....a cancer doctor was on "city club" the other night on the radio explaining about it...so don't know where you are but I would look into whats available at OHS also you can get on line and compare research/clinic trials/treatments from other countries...(like france) that are required to publish science research online because their countries have socialized health care....you can find this research in english.....so just go on line country to country....you never know if someone is doing something different that might help, best of luck to you positive love and light....the less stress and blame you put on yourself the more you allow your body to heal...don't let the bureaucracy of it get to you and allow others to do things for you....really remove yourself from the negative stuff of busy everyday life and focus on the beauty and enjoying the moment....life is not for sissies....focus on having a good process as you can possibly have and be an optimist....look for cancer support groups locally or online...I'm sure there are both....so you don't feel alone...
Cheers, Maggie....let us all know how it's going....feel free to complain...
who have been, and still are, in your shoes.
Makes a huge difference - having those nodes and not having them.
Ask your doctor anything and everything that comes to mind. I know there are pills to help protect the thyroid, but after weighing it all with my doctor, I opted against them.
not familiar with your type of cancer and each type of cancer has something foreign to others that have the 'big C.'
This is a great group, but I would encourage you or a loved one to seek out specific groups and also second opinions, ask questions. Stay informed without becoming crazy. I see below you have a positive attitude and that counts!
good luck with the scan tomorrow!!!
Step by step
think it has 6 'anti' somethings 
Including anxiety and nausea.
As the first transplant doc said to my husband, a few days after being locked into a room for a month +, we have many drugs to get you through this period, use whatever you need to get through!
Just get past this time, use what it takes ... and that includes asking others to do for you or a loved one. Do not be afraid to ask, I think people are hesitate and few are adept at anticipating needs.
look at numbers to see if you are in the 'range' and fail to look at the trend, my husband has a blood cancer (MDS that led to AML and has undergone two bone marrow transplants) so I am all about trends in labs. I realize others are in a different situation and have other tests which I do not understand.
Our daughter is an internal med doc and I know she studied very hard and cannot even begin to tell you that I could not have memorized all those binders that were under her bed! But sometimes we just need to look at OUR picture. She is not going to micro manage her Dad's treatment, she is not an oncologist, not too mention a transplant doctor, and they have such different standards as we have learned over time. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked for another lab test to be included which led to a change in medication.
Stay involved and Question, but not so much as to get bogged down in every detail, BUT let someone else do that for you. Remain determined and keep that sense of humor, that is your job.
so my Valentine's card stated
It is temporary, that is the spirit!
Some of us are temporary members, some are permanent.
I don't have melanoma, so I don't have specific advice. I did know someone without salivary glands and they just kept a bottle of water with them at all times.
You are in the right place - you can post anytime, many members will let you PM them (ask first) but I'll at least say you can PM me, and if you want a phone number you can ask for that.
Also, do you have a spouse/significant other or a family member that would have questions? This forum is not restricted to the patients themselves. Everybody is involved.
Best of luck with the PET scan. I've had at least 10 of those, so if you have any questions, I could at least answer those - what to expect, how the process is, etc. Main thing is they inject you with a radioactive marker and you have to be quiet for about 45 minutes in a chair and let it circulate before the scan starts. They're much quicker and easier than MRIs. You might want to bring a music CD with you. Not all of them can pipe music into the scanner, but many can, and if it helps you, bring one and ask. If you're diabetic, your sugars need to be reasonable (<250), but that's about it. They don't want you to work your brain too much while you're resting - preferably no crosswords or internet or whatever. The main reason is they measure the difference in sugar uptakes, and excessive brain activity changes that.
I do have bad jokes. They're not cancer related, though.
- Tab
On edit: Can't help myself. Worst joke I can think of...
Q: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Answer: The chicken, because the chicken had to get laid before the egg did.
Let that serve you right for asking about bad jokes.