I am an American, in the Alps, recovering from 60 days of threatment from mouth cancer. I have never smoked, don't drink, and have been at in Genolier, near Geneva Switzerland. What an ordeal this has been, I am 49 years old and I will try to write my survival story. I have stopped radiation 3 weeks ago, and my Tumor is GONE. I willed it that way, and used all the tools that I could muster.

Hello CS

You seem to have lead a great life. Liked your website - a whole different world! """Let the first 3 madmen go first !""" I am sure you have a great story to tell .

Hope the side effects of the radiotherapy aren't bothering you too much. You can find out more about the side effects of her treatment here: PATIENT'S GUIDE > COMPLICATIONS . Several of my patients have found Gelclair helpful in dealing with the mouth ulcers and sore mouth caused by the radiotherapy and Biotene useful for coping with a dry mouth. Things do get better .

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee: (Swiss Chocolate)

Well, Walked around Geneva today, fairly weak. Swiss trains are pretty clean and neat. Found a cafe where I could try a bowl of pasta (soft), and a carmel custard. Seems eggs are the only thing that does not hurt, although the Doctor said eating 10 eggs a day, is not so great. Problem is eating now, it is foor stomping pain. Eggs- Grits- oatmeal, now Salmon works. drinking is difficult. Seems the radiation is still buring my tongue after 24 days, mouth is not dry, just ichy from yellow ooze. Rinsing 25 times a day, seems to not heal. http://www.cdg.ch/en/home.html
Great view out of the window, glad I'm in a quite place....lucky me. Did the 57 day after discovery cat scan, tumor has gone.....maybe it's that energy woman from the mountian.....they are called fire healers.....strange all of it, but she told me exactly where the tumor was and why....very strange......How much longer on this pain stuff.....morphine again.........ohhhhhh. Chris Swiss

Hello Chris

Looks like they are taking good care of you in that nice place with the view. Sounds peaceful. You will improve, just takes time! Tell us about this energy woman of the mountain fire healer :wow:

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

Well, It was my first time really reading other post, and boy oh boy, I went DOWN hill fast. I have beaten this thing, the monster, came up clean and then reading some unknown womans worries and realities about another flair up of the monster, sent me crawling out of my skin. I realize some people have to harp on thier own misery and misfortune, but it has no added value to read this stuff- if it promotes doubt and worry. Many people need to talk of the ''bad'' times, but if this makes you worry- don't open the files! iT TOOK ME 2 DAYS to get over the ''fear'', and I have to realize that my own reality of having killed the monster is the only GOOD end result. So I have to not go back to this well of other persons misfortune. It's like looking for the guy in the race car in the rear of you, during the race---it is not the thing to do when you're driving a tough course. If you think horror stories have any ''value-worth'', they do not for those on the road to repair and health. We never know why people can't beat this, and we never know what type of life they really lead before the ''un-curable''. So, focus on your self, and with the mind alone this diease can be blown away with the right life focus.

Hello Chris�..and welcome. I absolutely agree with you think positive �.. positive result. I have said before �I have not been to hell and back for nothing.� . I don�t look behind to see if the Grim Reaper is following. There is no room for him in my life. You have to move on and start living again � unfortunately this is not so easy for some. They have had�. and are still having a hell of a time. This is where support comes in.

It is very scary to read some of the postings I agree, but it does make me realize just how lucky I have been. It�s a bit like T.V. really �if you don�t like the channel switch over. Chris� you will find this forum will help you immensly in dealing with your recovery. You can ask anything, even if you think the topic in question only happens to you, and I bet someone will have experienced the same.

Wish you speedy recovery.

Regards

Rosemary

Hello Chris

Life is scary but we don't think of it like that. It helps if we focus on what we can do, and do it as best we can. So being positive and helping ourselves is good.

However, the final result is sometimes not in our hands. We shouldn't be hard on our selves for having failed to do better. It is okay to be human. We should dare to talk of our troubles and seek comfort. It is just as difficult to give comfort as to seek it. It is in this that we see our selves - all different but the same.

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee: (on horlicks?)

Hello Chris, Well yours is a really honest reaction and one I totally understand while not agreeing absolutely.
Like you, when I joined this site, I didn't have much idea what other people had gone through and was shocked and troubled by reading some of the posts. Some of our friends just hinted at what they had been through. Others, well, they told it as it had happened in full detail.
But I don't think this was their fault. Their cancer had nturned out to be so much worse than mine, touch wood, and I should think it must be a great whoosh of relief to write about it. Like a confessional. Because cancer still has something of a feeling of a sin about it. Some of us may think.... Let me tell this to someone who understands, who will not flinch and turn away from my suffering. Someone like our Dr Joshi whose knowledge, compassion and understanding reaches everyone here.
Reading some of these posts, while upsetting, has multiplied my compassion for others I think, and at the same time made me think how lucky I am. And believe me I am no Miss Goody Goody.
As Rosemary said, you don't need to read it. But then it's too late as I found out too! And yes it is a bit daunting. I just put it behind me and hope that person is feeling not too bad.
But the sincerity of everyeone here compared with some of the other cancer sites I have visited is just unbelievable.
On the whole I didn't find anyone was interested in throat cancer--I was looking for eating ideas--and made me feel a bit of a timewaster as they had been MUCH iller than I. It was almost competitive.
I hope people feel they can keep on writing what they want without disturbing the faint-hearted! And I cinfess I am in the latter category too.

Oh, a change of subject by the way. I wonder if you have heard of an artist called Helen Taylor who is highly regarded here in the UK and who mainly does Grand Prix subjects? Her partner came to do a valuation for me and as I have lots of paintings told me about her work. He thought it might be an article for me as I used to do lots of features for magazines before my voice started playing up.
Her website is www.helentaylor.com
If it's not .com it's co.uk.
I looked it up and was fascinated.
Ishbel

Well, I did read all the post regarding my comments, thanks all. I suddenly was over run with fear. 7 Days ago I was released from the Clinc, or like they say ''clinique'', and back to the vineyard. It was sure nice, and I slowly regressed. Day by day, eating less. Yesterday I bolted to the Clinique and had this review with the doctors, It has been 30 days since the #36 radiation session ended and my mouth is buring like fire all the time. Now it's to the point of not being able to eat because of the pain. I am feed IV food, nightly (for weeks now), and they were doing that at the vineyard by nurses. I tried to eat a number of things, but the tongue is so damaged....had to wash the food out of my mouth because of the burning. Meeting the Doctors yesterday, they schedule me for a super cat scan , a layered image to see the area. The area of the tumor appears clean, but the tongue is damaged and left side of the mouth. They said it could take up to two months to heal, but I see no improvement in the past 3 weeks. Yesterday, I had the fear thing approach again....today I mentally feel better. They admitted me to the clinique full time again this morning, IV's all day long, and a series of explorations of the mouth. Still can't eat because of pain . Any ideas on the radiation burns of the inner mouth and how it goes, how long it goes, and why won't this heal!? I had chemo (2 weeks and I fell apart from that voodoo) and 36 hits from radiation, my tongue soon looked like a 2 weeks old scallop. Doctors say it appears to be all radiation damage, but I say---hey the last blast was August 17... any similar experances?

Let me pose the question clearly: I am a non-smoker, non-drinker (red wine and lemoncello only), male 49, never ill, tumor on roof of mouth discovered May 2004, threatment started July 5 ended August 17. Radiation 36 times, chemo 2 weeks. Weight loss : 30 pounds.

My main problem appears to be the burns to my tongue and left side of my mouth. Those areas are white. The area of the tumor is smooth and shows no tumor. No other cancer was found elsewhere.

Burn damage to the mouth is so severe I can not eat,and barely can drink. I have been hospitized for 4 weeks. One week home, made me weaker immediately. Condition of tongue :damaged, muscles under the tongue :stressed. Yarning hurts. Top of tongue: split and burned, any acid foods,sugars,salts impossible. Side of mouth: swollen and hurting all the way back to my throat.
Saliva: thick, discharge yellow, I rinse 15 times a day. 3 times a night. Can not swallow saliva.

It seems like Zero improvement since the last day of radiation. everyday, it seems Zero improvement.

Has anyone gone through this pain and time schedule on healing. Man oh man, harvest this next week and I've got picking to do!

Glad to hear all replys....Merci !

Hello Christopher. Well I would say it is definitely radiation damage by my own experience. As a five-year veteran it gets better but doesn't go away. There's no great mystique. Just imagine the worst sunburn you can ever ever have multiplied, and inside your delicate throat tissues, and it is amazing how they have got it off to such a relatively fine art.
Have they given you oramorph to deal with the npain for the moment? It is wonderful, relaxing, and whle you are in its embrace you can eat a little more.
But there will always be a bit of trouble there. This morning I added the juice of fresh blackberries to my yoghurt and it stung my throat like mad.
One word of advicfe which would have helped me five years ago. As a result of the radiotherapy/radiation your immune system is weakened and you wil be perey to any passing colds. I have them coinstantly. But you can build your body up now by taking loads of Vitamin C and zinc in whichever form you can manage. I find liquid is easier, or injections if you can afford it.
Turn off the terror. It's a devil.
Regards Ishbel

HI Christopher, I have and still are going through the effect of Radiotherapy, I wish to god they told me how sore painful and lasting it is.
I have been through hell with it but the sores and pain gets easier.
I was on a peg for about 1.5 years after surgery folowed by Radio and I lost 2.5 stones which I still find difficult now three years on to put weight back.
You dont say if you have problems with your teeth mine well you can see pic on my web page!!
Keep in touch with us would be interested in your improvent and the ways you find to cope

Paul

Christopher, I am so sorry to hear all the problems you are having. Radiation is a monster of a thing to get thru. I know I had it twice. It was hard on me, for I had never been thru anything like it before. Looking back it was a piece of cake compared to the surgery..Always Vicki

I think we all know about the pain,the lack of wanting to eat, sitting all day infront of the simplest of food, not being able to swallow. Like the flagellation of your whole being, that is what my first poem was about, The violent impact on my living tissue, Inflammation pressing on an area of nerve activity and so on; the total lack of energy, thanks to Radiation, saps everything out of you and more. when you go back to the states, invest in the best american juicer, I lived on mango, and carrot juice, swallowing was so painfull; I got it down in one horrendous gulp.
I have never smoked and only drank good wine with food and never spirits, however mine was the classic heavy drinker smoker throat cancer.The only advice I can give is explore your thought process and try to get positive imput, don't fight it, try to look from every angle, why your body had a visit from this uninvited invader.Know that there is a healing energy, and a greater power within ourselves.Observe what is going on in your life and know that you are not your experiences.P.S. Love Swiss Chocolate,however too painful at present :alert: