Video není dostupné.
Omlouváme se.
The Scary Diagnosis: How They Found My Cancer
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 02. 2022
- In this video, I talk about the scary diagnosis I received and how my doctor found my cancer. I share with you my hope for treatment and how I was hoping to beat this deadly disease.
If you're feeling scared about a cancer diagnosis, this video is for you. I talk about the diagnosis and how my doctor found my cancer. I share with you my hope for treatment and how worked towards beating this deadly disease.
It sounds like your reaction was similar to mine…I just thought”Well, I’ve got a family to take care of and plenty of stuff that needs to get done. Let’s get this handled and over with!”
So right James. No sense in wallowing around in self pity. It's miserable, but get to work and get it fixed. People rely on us to get things done either for them or with them. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Lee, yes I’ve had throat cancer, 16 years ago, then 2016
It came back. It was a horrendous cancer and treatments that I’ve ever experienced! Min didn’t turn out very well, left with a trach and feeding tube for life. It was Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma, it’s been a hard road to travel. But I’m here to enjoy my family,friends,life. I’m thankful.
You are correct Annette. The treatments were much more difficult than I imagined that they would be. I'm glad you made it through, and you are right, being here to enjoy family and friends is the most important thing. Do I understand it that you have had a stomach tube since 2016?
Lee
@@theregularguy141 yes that is right Lee, I’ve had it twice! The lasttim was in 2016, what a shock it was to me. I’ve ha to be given a feeding tube put in as I can no longer eat or drink anything by mouth. Plus a trach, it was a couple of bad times getting use to but with time I have come to realize that the circumstances could of been much worse. I pray you continue good health . 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 god bless you Lee.,😀🤗🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
How old are you annette; Hope the best for you.
@@annettepurtle3757 wow Annette , you’re a fighter ❤
@@donnabarnes540 Thank you Donna, 😀
sharring your journey is brave and amazing!. thanks Lee!
Thanks DB! Remember, I'm relying on you for some professional critique! Thanks for the comment!
Lee - (here's a blast from the past!) I'm so sorry to hear of your cancer - it surprises me that cancer was even brave enough to tackle a tough old bird like you! It may sound strange coming from me, but I'll happily keep you in my prayers, and I'll keep an eye out for future news about this. Go safely, and take care of yourself! (10-4?) Cheri Collins SPD
LOL, Thank you Cheri! This is a blast from the past. A tough old bird... LOL, you win the internet as you are the first to refer to me as an old bird! But thank you for reaching out!
Thank you Lee for sharing about your journey. I have had a discomfort when swollen in my left neck area for about 6 wks now. Keep putting off seeing Dr but will book an apt tomorrow to see what's going on. Hope your treatments are helping you.
Hi Quilla,
Definitely go see a doctor and if necessary get a referral to an ENT. 6 weeks of swelling is a bit much.
Lee
yeah, you're right.. even though I suspected I had cancer, when I was told, it did choke me up a little.. after all, this had just become real, this would be my life for now.. life goal ATM.. to be given the all clear and to ring that bell..
Absolutely!!
Thank you for sharing your story. Myself, i have had scratchy sore throat with horseness for about a month and half. My pcp dr did a strep test (which came back neg). He scheduled me to see a ent in july. I hope all goes well but i am worried that i may have cancer.
Hey Todd,
I get the concerns, but remember there are a lot of different things that can affect our throat. Strep, mono, throat infections, sinus drainage etc. Unfortunately there is no way to find out any faster than what you are doing. It took from February until May (I believe) to get through all of the testing and get a 100% answer that I had cancer. Keep a good positive attitude and don't let it get to you. Let us know what happens!
Lee
Hi Lee - I find your videos to be the most helpful on UT. I have squamous cell carcinoma on my right tonsil (T2) and am scheduled to be fitted with a mask next week. The surgeon tells me it is HPV P16 and will start the treatment very soon. I have not found anything else on UT that shares the details in "regular guy" terms until I stumbled upon your videos. Thank you and I feel inspired seeing your videos even though I know it will not be pleasant. BTW, how you doing in terms of your recovery?
Hey Bobby,
Thank you so very much for the kind words! It sounds as though you and I have had about the same issue, just opposite sides. You're right, it will not be pleasant, but it is certainly doable! As far as my recovery goes I am fine. I am still free and clear (as of February '23). I feel fine and I have only very minor lingering issues such as modified taste and dry/cotton mouth. Good luck to you with your treatment journey and PLEASE keep us informed on your progress.
Lee
I fell and developed a large lump on the side of my face. It didnt go away went to my primary Dr. right away the sent me for ultra sound,3cm tumor. Next biopsy next MRI . Low grade carcinoma they said the fall was a blessing and It may have just festered until it was big and bad. So with all that this Tuesday 3/7/23 is my surgery. I dont smoke, drink I eat good and I had no symptoms nothing! I did request my tumor be split and sent to a second lab for testing for fungus, I was exposed to mold while doing a renovation. The mold was significant and the previose homeowner in my house was very ill. We found the mold problem after 4 weeks so I was living moldy house for 4 weeks. The house was gutted but I think this head and neck cancer has something to do with it.
God Bless you all.
You have a very good point, those mold and mildew spores are nasty and cause all sorts of problems, not the least of which is respiratory problems and of course cancer.
Lee
Cancer of the tonsils is usually squamous cell and starts with a red or white spot that can be tested early if found early. A good screening exam by a dedicated ENT, Primarily Care or Dentist can easily spot these spots and perform a minimally invasive
brush biopsy to detect dysplasia which is easily treated before it becomes invasive.
Hi Nicholas,
You are absolutely correct. Unfortunately the symptoms of throat cancer can present as other things, which is what through my primary care physician and me off to begin with.There were no white spots at all. The red "lump" on my tonsil slowly appeared as we were evaluating what was going on. The key, I believe, was the swollen lymph node that did not go down. That being said, if it's doesn't feel / look right, have it checked out.
Lee
Your channel came across my feed likely due to my searching for information recently. Similar journey. Sitting in a recliner waiting for PET scan as I write this to locate source tumor. Neck dissection and lymph node removal diagnosed with HPV mediated squamous cell carcinoma. Look forward to learning from your journey.
Hi Michael,
I have heard that the neck dissection is a really tough surgery to go through but usually successful. Are you going to go through chemo and radiation treatment as well? Please keep us updated on your progress!
Lee
@@theregularguy141 hey Lee! Got through the surgery fine, in fact no pain at all in the recovery but nerve damage in the neck. PET scan reveled no main tumor, which is puzzling. But reading some research studies and sometimes the tumor is very small to miss detection by scans. Surgery in the near future to remove tonsils and biopsy base of the tongue. Yes seeing a radiological oncologist this week and medical oncologist as well. Likely radiation in the near future.
Hi Michael,
Good news about the surgery. I have heard that it is almost impossible to avoid nerve damage in the neck from this type of surgery. Will you also be doing physical therapy?
Lee
@@theregularguy141 no PT yet, but I will be going through Chemoradiation starting April 10. 30 treatments with radiation and 6 chemo. Pathology revealed 2 lymph nodes impacted so that is the protocol.
Hey Michael,
Keep positive, the time really does go by quickly. Hopefully the combo of the surgery and the Chem/radio treatments will clear everything up for you.
Lee
Hope your doing better bro🙏
Doing great! 2 years cancer free!
Hi Lee. 2 & 1/2 years ago I got my tonsils out (ouch!) and a uvula (dangly thing in the back of the throat) cyst removed. I show my ENT a small white indented oval shaped thing on the left side of my tongue so she cut it out, stitched it and sent it for a biopsy. It came back as non cancerous. Now it’s back, sore and the size of a dime the white part but there’s a red bit to the back of it. I’m concerned for 2 reasons: 1- I’ve seen pictures of tongue cancer and my tongue looks like some of those pictures and 2- I’ve heard stories on CZcams, in looking into the matter, that sound just like mine (people being told your tooth is probably just rubbing on it or your biting it in your sleep. Now I would MUCH PREFER them to be right and this NOT to be cancer. I’m going to have it looked at in 2 days.
You were probably asking for feedback who already know they have cancer. I thought I’d put my concerns here because I don’t want to scare my family if it turns out to be nothing.
Thank you for helpful content.
Hi Monica. That is definitely a tough spot to be in. I know it is worrying to have this lingering about. Hopefully it is not cancer and you breath a sigh of relief. However should it turn out to be cancerous, my advice is to be honest and candid with your family. Allow them to be the core of your support group. I know where you are coming from as I too sat waiting for this test and that test, hearing it might be cancer, it looks like cancer etc. Please let us know it goes. Feel free to email any of your questions or concerns as well.
Lee
Thank you Lee! 😊@@theregularguy141
Well, I bet you can guess why I'm here starting with your earliest videos and playing catch up! As a 67 yr old male my story is very similar. Started out in late October 2023 as a nagging sore throat with left ear pain for about a week with no lumps anywhere. I gave it about 7-10 days before I took action to see if it would go away. It didn't, so right away my first call was to my ENT who did my sinus surgery back in 2010. They said it would be 3 weeks before I could get in and recommended I see my primary care doc in the meantime which I did. Typical steoriod and antibiotic meds did not help.
My ENT visit included the typical scope to take a look which was initially done by his assistant. She looked for longer period of time than any previous visits. When she found nothing obvious and I was complaining about the ear pain, she call in the Doc. He looked again finding nothing remarkable. He finally said "hang on for just a minute"... about that time he re-gloved and stuck his finger down my throat and said, "there it is!" He found a tumor at the base of my tongue on the left side stating it feels "firm", like a knucke on your hand. Since that day in mid December, I had the initilal CT scan, then a biopsy operation showing HPV-16 Positive squamous cell carcinoma at the left base of tongue and left tonsil with a few left side lymp nodes affected. I finally got a bit of good news yesterday when the full body PET/CT scan showed no spread to the lung or "below the collarbone" with stageing determined to be stage 3. I considered this a HUGE win because the initial CT showed a few "anomalies" on my lungs. Being a smoker for 40 years I was actually prepared for more bad news making yesterday a great day!
I've now met with both the rad and chemo docs who have recommended rad 5 days a week for 7 weeks and chemo one day a week with Cisplatin. I presume today's second rad doc visit will entail a mask fitting. I certainly do appreciate your posts regarding advice, do's and dont's, what to expect, etc. As I to prepare to fight my way through the process, thank you Lee for shareing your journey!
Yours truly, Jim in Alabama 😇
Hi Jim,
Wow, this story sounds very familiar. Almost scary familiar. You are correct the lack of spread is a HUGE win for sure and a big relief. I felt exactly the same way. It is certainly a journey to go through and it will be difficult. HOWEVER, it is doable and survivable. My big recommendation, if they haven't talked about it, is to get that PEG tube and get it as soon as possible. That will be a life saver. Good luck and keep us informed!
Lee
PS - Oddly enough, I have a cousin in Alabama, named Jim... Hmmm
@@theregularguy141 - Peg is being placed at the same time as the port in a few days. Treatment starts next week.
@@toploadtele Hey good luck man! Follow the doctor's directions, stay positive, USE the PEG and keep us up to date. We are all pulling for you!
Lee
Lee, thank you for sharing, and best of luck to you with your cancer journey. To all Americans under 50---please get your HPV vaccination. Most throat cancer is caused by HPV----the Human Papilloma Virus (aka the wart virus). HPV also causes the majority of oral cancer, cervical cancer, anal cancer, and others. If you received your vaccination years ago, you may need to update it. The older vaccinations protected against four strains of HPV, while the new vaccination protects against sixteen strains. Please protect yourself!
Thanks Phil! I couldn't agree more, talk to your primary care physician about the current HPV vaccination. Hey Phil, have you or someone you know been given a cancer diagnosis?
Lee
My diagnosis was hard to take at first not only for me but more so my partner.
Very hard to get my head around and then all the things that followed were just too much
It is a lot to get your head around, you are absolutely right about that. I think the rest of the conversation with the doctor was just mumbling. I have no idea what was said for the next 20 mins.
Lee
I was having difficulty swallowing and it felt like something was in my throat. By the time I had the ultra sound and the CT scan, no one had told me but I already knew I had cancer. Wen I went to see the oncologist I already knew. He has been proactive so far, but I am still in the discovery stage and treatment has not started. The waiting for an appointment for the second biopsy is disturbing. My cancer is on the back of the tong where it is not visible without a scope. Thanks for your video.
Hi Curt,
I know the feeling . It seemed like it took forever to get from the something wrong to treatment. I think I went from the sore throat/ear ache to treatment in 6 months (Feb - July). The waiting for test results and insurance approvals seemed to drag everything out. Stick with it man! And of course keep us updated on your progress.
Lee
My mum has on back of tongue and one lymph node.
Its very shocking to hear that you have cancer. With me it began with a cyst on my right ovary. It became big and painful. Walking was a problem. So I went to hospital and the doctors said they would prefer to take it out since it suffocates my ovary. They said it might be necessary to even remove the ovary. So I asked them to try their best to save my ovary and remove the cyst only. But if its not possible to keep it, take it out of course. Unfortunately a young and probably unexperienced surgeon performed the surgery and had difficulties to remove the cyst completely since it held to my ovary strongly. Looking back now he made a very bad decision. He left a part of the cyst hanging on my ovary and told me that he could not seperate it from the ovary. A view months later I had a view cysts around my ovary and was diagnosed with cancer. A malignant one. They rushed me into a big surgery where I lost both my ovaries and the uterus. I was so devastated because of it. One wrong decision of a doctor led to a catastrophe. The clinic has not taken any responsibilty for what happened. I refused chemo and looked for alternative treatments like Vitamin C intravenous and D3.
Hi Jill,
Thank you for watching and sharing your story. I am truly sorry you had to go through this horrible experience.
Lee
I think I have this, I went to the doctor and they said I have strep throat, I've taken my penicillin injections and meds and the symptoms won't go away 😭😭 I have to schedule a visit for a cancer screening see what they say.
Hi Angel,
I'm hoping that it turns out to be a false alarm and it all works out ok. Hopefully an ENT specialist will be able to sort you out. Keep us informed as to what happens. We are all pulling for you and we are here for you.
Lee
Just finished my 35 radiations and my 7 chemos....hope all is well with ya buddy.
Hi Dino,
Keep your chin up buddy! It all gets better from here! I know that RIGHT NOW, you are moving into a difficult phase. Experiences may vary, BUT from past comments and my own experience the 2-3 weeks after treatment were the toughest. I know I didn't believe it, but everybody was right. That being said, the moment I was able to actually swallow some water was amazing. I know we all are looking forward to hearing how you get on!
Lee
@@theregularguy141 thanks for responding brother..yea it's tough I can tell you that for dam sure..i'll keep ya informed...thanks again from a regular guy like yourself.
Dean
Same way I felt yep the same way
I'm glad I'm not the only one that was not concerned, at first...
Wow, thank u for sending me this link. I didn’t hear u mention about chronic hoarseness. We’re you ever hoarse?
Yeah, a little bit. More raspy than hoarse. AND you are certainly welcome!
@@theregularguy141 I knew you had to have had some kind of voice change. I find that doctors tend to “always” think it’s an infection of sorts in the beginning and “maybe” this is why so many throat cancers are not found as early as they should be. You must have had throat cancer for over a year before you ever started showing signs of a sore throat like you’ve never felt before. Looking back (I want you to think on this one) do u think 🤔 you overlooked some of the warning signs?
@@katinabotten I think doctors go the way of infection because the symptoms, in my case, were so similar to a throat/inner ear infection. I had them before, but not very often and certainly not with the visible swelling of the lymph nodes. In answer to your question, there is no doubt that I probably did overlook some symptoms. i.e slight earache that stretched into the throat or a feeling of something "not quite right". Great question!
Lee
@@theregularguy141 no question that ur ear and throat were connected to your cancer, no doubt no my mind! My left ear is painful and bleeds inside! I see ENT Friday!
To be honest, I just thought it was an infection and the doctor would give me antibiotics and it would go.
Just the same as a lot of us.
I must admit though, if I could go back to the beginning I would think about refusing treatment as I’ve been through hell and still am.
Your right David, the treatment is rough, very rough. BUT, here I am a year on and pretty much back to normal except for the dry mouth issue. I dont think I would change anything. Not that i want to repeat it, but it seems to have worked. How far along are you in recovery?
Lee
@@theregularguy141 hi lee, I am only one month after treatment so I suppose I’m a little early to be complaining sorry buddy but sometimes just need too moan.
@@davidc1055 - Dude, I understand 100%. Based on my experience with treatment, you should start coasting downhill and feeling better at any point. I know it feels like you will never eat solid food again. EVERYTHING hurts, you're tired and miserable. I was told that the 2-3 weeks after treatment ended would be the worst of it, but nobody talked about how bad I would feel. In all honesty, I felt physically, mentally and emotionally broken. Surprisingly enough, at about the 4-5 week mark, I did start to feel better, only slightly, but that was much better than getting worse! I sincerely hope you start to feel better soon. I was recently told in an e-mail that despite the well wishes and support of family and friends, nobody knows how it feels unless they have been through what we, as a community, have been through.
Feel free to moan at me and anyone else at any time David! We are with you!
Lee
I have the the sound and the biopsy to
That technology is truly amazing.
Did they tell you what stage you were ?
Hi Darren,
I believe I was stage 2. I had my primary tumor in the left tonsil and it had spread into one or two lymph nodes on the left side of my neck.
Wow, they didn’t sedate you for the procedure, poor thing! How long had u had a sore throat before it led to the biopsy?
Let's see, my sore throat went away fairly quickly after I took the antibiotic, the swelling was there until midway through treatment. As far as the biopsy, I would love to say I was brave and strong, however, they did shoot me up with a local. The biopsy was done by fine needle aspiration (FNA). It was most interesting to watch on the monitor live.
Lee
@@theregularguy141 that is interesting that after antibiotics your sore throat went away because cancer is not a bacterial thing, unless maybe there was also some bacteria as well as the cancer in there. Glad to here they numbed u locally before the FNB, very interesting to be able to watch on the screen/monitor.
I’m not doing so good, as it’s been now 2-weeks and my throat feels like hot sauce. The magic mouthwash is my only saving grace right now from the burning, but last only 4 hrs for me. My tonsils look fine, no lumps (at least not that I can see). But I’m in so much pain and my voice is hoarse and I keep clearing my throat. My PCP is booked up and cannot get me in right away. I’m about ready to go back to the ER.
In all honesty, I think the infection (ear, throat) were real and that the cancer was also hanging about. Maybe the infection aggravated it? That's one theory...I think?
The magic mouthwash was awesome for me as well!
@@theregularguy141 did u have strep?
I have GERD and recently had an endoscopy with biopsy done in 5 spots in the esophagus. The gastroenterologist said I have Barrett’s Esophagus that is pre cancerous. Ever since that test I have a slight sore throat for 2 months. I’m getting a ultrasound next week and my gastroenterologist is going to do an upper endoscopy. What upsets me is that my primary doctor and the gastroenterologist prescribed pump inhibitors to prevent acid reflux and do another endoscopy in 2 years to see if any of the pre cancer cells that have changed will change again into cancer. Why don’t they treat pre cancer the same way that they would treat cancer? Why keep watching my throat every 2 years instead? Maybe there is another doctor who would treat my pre cancer?
That is interesting. I have not heard of Barret's Esophagus, until now. As far as treating pre-cancerous cells as cancerous ones, I am afraid I don't know the answer to that. It may be that the treatment would be worse for you in the event that the cells in your esophagus did not become cancerous. I know you have probably looked all of this up, but here is a link and a quote i found during a brief search:
"People with Barrett's esophagus have an increased risk of esophageal cancer. The risk is small, even in people who have precancerous changes in their esophagus cells. Fortunately, most people with Barrett's esophagus will never develop esophageal cancer." This is from the Mayo Clinic and here is the article link:
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/barretts-esophagus/symptoms-causes/syc-20352841#:~:text=People%20with%20Barrett's%20esophagus%20have%20an%20increased%20risk%20of%20esophageal,will%20never%20develop%20esophageal%20cancer.
Lee
I didn’t realize u were stage IV! What are the prognosis? I would ask your Dr (despite your being supposedly cured /in remission) because some missed cells hide or go to sleep in your bone marrow and May come back or may not come back.
I don’t hear u mention hoarseness?
You know that is something that is always in the back of my mind. The only thing you can do is live your life, keep up with your scans / exams and try not to stress out over what you can't control.
Lee
@@theregularguy141 your now in God’s hands! BTW, my hoarseness and voice fatigue is ongoing but I have a lump on my left leg that is a Lipoma, but I must keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t grow.
Yes tongue cancer pretty new it was growing at alarming rate
Hopefully your upcoming surgery will be able to get it out and keep it out this time! Keep us updated!
Lee
How big where the lymnodes in your neck??
Hi JIm,
One was 3.3 cm in diameter and one was 2.2 cm in diameter. Both on the left side.
Lee
I noticed no one is discussing smoking cigarettes or long term other forms of smoking for years? None of the comments are addressing or admitting smoking either……..I would be curious to know ………long term gastric reflux, (gerd) can also cause malignant changes over time….that said, no one here is admitting to being a smoker….
Hi Skye,
Great question. You are absolutely correct, there is little to know discussion here regarding tobacco use among viewers. However in this video, (czcams.com/video/3AlkcBxkWmA/video.html)
I talk about tobacco use and other causes of throat cancer. I am in fact a past smoker. I had stopped smoking around 1990 ish and then started again in 2010. So I was definitely putting myself at risk and that came back to bite me in 2021. I have GERD now and that was caused by issues regarding the radiation therapy.
Lee
We have the same cancer my is just found in my right tonsil and spread to my throat and Mass swelling in lymph nodes
Have they decided on a treatment path for you?
@@theregularguy141 yes I start radiation treatment and chemotherapy next week
@@theregularguy141 How everything goin on ur end..???
@@simpleandplain1 Going well, still fighting with the insurance. company to get my one year PET/CT done.
@@theregularguy141 great news I am on my way to treatment now..
Did they remove ur tonsil
No, I thought for sure that would happen. But for some reason, they (ENT surgeon, surgical oncologist) all decided that mine was best treated by chemo and radiation.
Congratulations on ur recovery that’s good everything working in ur favor health wise
My lymphno is Mass yep ENT
Have you seen the ENT or do you have an upcoming appointment?
My cancer is rare my doctor told me
What type was it? If I may ask.
If I had a $1.00 for every time you say “cancer” I could retire
Hey that’s like my 2nd or 3rd video! I get a beginners break.
I appreciate your videos. Do you have an email?
In the description