Throat Cancer stage IV

[alyx]

Thank you Rott

It helps

[fang37]

About 7 years ago, I was diagnosed with throat cancer - stage 3 from one oncologist & stage 4 by another.

It would be the worst pain I have endured - copious amounts of morphine in various forms. Unsuitable for chemotherapy. Radiation - about 35 times.

Side-effects - damage to mouth. All teeth extracted after hyperbaric therapy.

Hyperbaric therapy chamber - 25??? times - in CNX, cheap - B2500/session. BKK - B6k/session

I haven't eaten solids for 6+ years. I live on water, iced coffee & soy milk! You do get used to it!

Total cost including 3 trips to BKK & one trip to my native country - B3.5m

After-effects - little energy.

Expected life expectancy - 6 years.

BIG QUESTION: Was it really worth it? Cannot answer. Sometimes - yes. Sometimes - no.

There is a lot of support for of the sufferer's family.

The cancer sufferer - little or none.

Do it again - NO! Let nature take its course ie death. Pain relief - OK.

How did I get through it? Application of the philosophy of AA.

Worst after-effects - no teeth - no solid food - no spicy food. (Dentures - not recommended by doctor).

[arunsakda]

I wish you never became ill with cancer but Hyperbaric therapy is pure bunk pushed by charlatans and quacksalvers. Witch doctors, quacks, and ripoff artists. They got some money off you in your suffering and for that I hate them. It served you no good and if it resulted in tooth loss, OMG. It is nothing less than assault.

Absolute criminal charlatanism.

Edited August 13, 2015 by arunsakda

[fang37]

My Oz doctor said that hyperbaric was BS.

The Thai dental surgeon - head of Chiang Mai University Dental School - stated that my jaw would collapse so teeth extraction was mandatory.

Hyperbaric was a compulsory pre-requisite to teeth extraction. Therefore, my choices were limited.

Decisions had to be made.

In hindsight, teeth extraction decision was a poor one as was radiotherapy + morphine. At the time, I researched the use of marijuana for pain relief. Its illegality in Thailand was my only deterrent. I even consulted the doctor re its use ie an exemption for medical purposes as in many western countries. I was in so much pain I even considered euthanasia in Switzerland/Denmark/Netherlands. Even in those countries, euthanasia is not a gimme option.

I reiterate - in cases such as cancer, just let nature take its course. If that is death, so be it.

[Sheryl]

Please let us not hijack this thread which was about a specific person with throat cancer who did, in fact, at the end let nature take its course rather than have mutilating surgery, and passed peacefully away more than a year ago.

Feel free to start another separate thread about current case of throat cancer if desired.

[fang37]

Sheryl

With respect I did my best to post in the most relevant thread. I considered that a new thread was unwarranted. Obviously, you disagree.

A good news story can give hope. Giving the real facts, as experienced by the sufferer, can be an aid to fellow sufferers, relatives & friends. There are plenty who give advice. Maybe the sufferer needs a listener rather than many advisors.

I battled with cancer in the best fashion as I could at the time.

To the terminal suffers, I suggest that they do their own thing - whatever that may be.

Writing the original post was not easy.

[fang37]

Many researchers are looking for the causes of throat cancer. Cigarettes & booze were suggested as the most probable causes.

I did smoke & drank excessively but ceased both about 30 years before the onset of cancer.

My MIL observed my deterioration with having the big C. Low & behold, now she has it. Never smoked - never drank.

My punt is that pollution is the prime cause in Nthn Thailand.

CNX hospitals is full of cancer outpatients.

[Sheryl]

As this thread was begun regarding a specific patient and his (and his surviving spouse's) story ran for 11 pages I do not think it appropriate to use it for new discussions of the disease. It's a personal story of specific people.

I am therefore locking it. Again, feel free to start a new thread about your own cancer or the disease in general.