anna's Cancer Blog
February 13, 2010
Friday I went for a barium swallow test where you drink and eat things coated with barium while they xray you and see how everything goes down. I have been having trouble with pills and sometimes with liquids coming out my nose kind of like Elena. I first took the drink which went down fine but I had little bits left in the back of my throat and would then swallow two more times for it all to go down. You could see the remaining liquid in my throat after the first swallow and the second and then the third would empty it. Next she gave me apple sauce with barium goo mixed in. Unfortunately, fruit is the only thing that tastes really creepy to me right now – mostly sour. I told her the barium tastes better than the apple sauce. Anyway, that went down fine and so did the pill they gave me. After all was done she conferred with the radiologist and then sent me to another room to talk. She said this type of test does not show everything but they noticed a mass near where my tonsils used to be. She said this could be scar tissue or something else and suggested that I get an MRI to make sure it wasn’t cancerous. I truly enjoyed telling her first, can you not see and feel all the scar tissue in my neck from the surgery and radiation and second, I just had a PET scan a week ago and am completely clear! I can imagine how petrified I would have been had I not had the PET scan done yet! Oh well, the important thing she told me is that my swallowing is absolutely normal and there was no malformation from the radiation. I have to stop eating cake, I’ve gained three pounds. Please everyone pray for our Rose that she is completely healed. Much love goes out to her.
Anna
Anna—
No, no, no! Don’t stop eating cake! Give up something else, like rutabagas or sauerkraut, but not cake! :) It sounds like you are doing great and I’m so very happy for you! Wow, barium tasting better than applesauce—I’ve never heard that one before! May all your future follow-ups be great news. I wish you all the best. Please keep us posted!
Love—
Martha
Posted on Hi Anna,
Im happy to hear the swallow test went well. Im sure what they see is the scar tissue. Im so happy the PET was clear too! See, so why do they always scare us… I almost feel like the neck dissection is the culprate with the scar tissue. I mean… I know that rads beat our throats terribly…but I never had these problems til after the ND…I know the ND had to be done without a doubt.. That removed the “C” but this scar tissue stuff is a Bitch..LOL
Stay Strong ! You are a trooper.
Love,
Elena
Posted on Anna
I agree do not stop eating Cake! and do not stop eating chocolate either! After going through all the crap that you have you need cake and chocolate!
So you got to see your skeletonn swallowing eh? That is so cool. I had the barium swallow a couple of weeks ago, ( pre- therapy appointment).
Seeing the exray of me swallowing made me laugh LOL. Anyway O hope the scar tissue disappears from your throat. Sunshine and Smiles Val
Posted on Hi Anna!
I’m so glad to hear from you and very happy to confirm that you are going quite well and always in progress.
Happily you didn’t even got scared with that unreflected comment about your throat.
My classes go on and my knees are coping with the effort; I’ll soon have an “automate” car – I mean with no clutch pedal.
In my school, sisters invited teachers so we are going to Spain this week, to visit the tomb of the founder on his two hundred birthday celebration: I’ll pray specially for Rose there.
See you soon and “Saudades” from Portugal.
Ines
Anna; I have to tell you, I have never had barium but it sounds kind of chuggish. I have trouble swallowing big pills, and my husband ends up sneezing after he swallows anything too big or his own saliva, the wrong way down. You seem to have the hang of it by now. Good one. Well, I’m sure you can afford the pounds on, so don’t give up your favourite food! That’s no fun. A bunch of us at a party last night had the best chocolate cake ever. I bought it at a special store. ummmmmm. Listen if that Pet scan showed nothing, then it has to be scar tissue. Why do these professionals take such great glee in delivering frightening news? SADISTS I say. God damned sadists. Close your ears, open your mouth and take another big piece of CAKE. That otta do it. lol.
Posted on Anna,
I am so sorry to hear about the barium tests. Thank goodness they never made me do that. I don’t think my stomach would have allowed it.
I had to give up cake too. And bread. It is still just too darn hard for me to swallow without a mouthful of milk to go with it.
I was happy to see that you are gaining weight. That should be a good sign.
But I agree with Martha… if you love cake… it’s so hard to give up favorite foods during and after radiation. You’ve got to be able to, at some point, to have your favorite foods again.
You are in my prayers and I am hoping that you have many, many better days coming.
Hugs and blessings!
Rose
Posted on Anna,
I just read some more about the scar tissue.
It really is a bitch and painful. I have so much scar tissue in my colon from endometriosis and my complete hysterectomy almost 10 years ago. The bugger is (and I’m not sure whether it’s all scar tissue) but they could remove mine through surgery… but with endometriosis… it comes back in about 4 months.
I was lucky and did not require a neck dissection and they couldn’t do the tonsil & tumor removal because of blood clots.
I pray this tissue in your neck stops giving you problems.
Many hugs and blessings,
Rose
February 4, 2010
Hi Everyone,
I’m going on nine months since I finished treatment. I just had my second PET scan on Feb 1 and my doctor said it was “perfect.” I’m still a bit dry but have found when I chew gum, which I can now tolerate, the saliva comes strongly. Swallowing is good but I do choke slightly so I will undergo a swallow test to see if I need my throat stretched. I have maintained my weight loss at 60 pounds and have a complete new wardrobe which my husband loves to see me in but was not thrilled to pay for. I took all my old clothes to a church that serves homeless people and left them there. Still have scar tissue under my chin and my neck gets stiff but gradually I am improving. I have noticed that when my mouth gets very dry during the night, my tongue is sore the next day. I chew gum all day to get saliva and this seems to heal the soreness. I am eating nearly everything. Salads taste good again, pasta also. I have eaten chocolate cake with whipped cream everyday. Yesterday I could not taste it but today I can. This seems to be the norm. Gotta go – I’m at work!
Take Care
Anna
Hey Anna,
Thanks sooo much for posting this. Great news on your PET scan. Wow, 60 lbs. I am (unpatiently) looking forward to the day I can eat a meal and enjoy it. Do you remember what your first real meal was that you enjoyed?
I’m guessing that by the time I am ready to enjoy my first “real” meal, you will be sooo much further ahead in your healing and will be educating the rest of us along the way.
Blessings to you,
Greg
Posted on Hi Anna; Love your menu! gum is great. Have you tried the 5 Gum? I buy the cherry flavour and boy does it taste great and lasts a long time. I chew it because I quit smoking 14 months ago. It’s my nemisis. Glad to hear your pet scan was clean. Isn’t that wonderful news and don’t worry about the clothing bill, everything worth having is worth paying for. You must feel really great. Happy days girl.
Anna,
Great to hear from you as always and so glad you are cancer free…..what a great feeling! You’ll learn to live with the dry mouth. As you get used to it, it will start feeling better after time. I have no salivary glands but today I do produce saliva and it’s easier to eat. Takes a lot of time as the body adapts.
Glad to hear all is well…I wish I still had the weight loss….lol
Love and hugs my friend
Ron
Posted on Anna
What great news,am so glad to hear things are going well for you. I still am starting my journey, but hearing what all of you have said I am really enjoying food for now. My surgery is 2 weeks today, so things will start to slide. Posts like yours really give me encouragement! I also thank you so much for your posts.
Sunshine and Smiles Val
Anna—
Hi stranger! I was so excited when I saw a post from you and even more so when I read that your PET scan results were all good news! Fabulous, dahling! It sounds like you are doing great and getting back into the stream of life. I hope you continue to see improvements and find that you are able to eat more and more foods as time goes on. I wish you all the very best and will keep you in my prayers. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get some cake! :)
Love—
Martha
God bless you, anna. so glad to hear that you are “perfect”. keep up the good work… and have an extra piece of chocolate cake for me. debby
Posted on anna…
good to hear from you…
great news !
glad to hear no cancer activity; your finding ways to deal with the dry mouth; your 60 pound weight loss {wow !}; and your taste buds have fully returned…
chocolate cake & whip cream…ummmm
unfortuately, i at the stage of healing, when i have chocolate…i get “paste-like” taste..uch !
i like your idea of gum to help with the dry mouth/salvia issue….i am going to try it
glad to hear all is well
god bless anna..
dennismcgn
Posted on anna…
i am not taking zinc…though since it has helped you with increasing your taste…and not having that “wonderful” pasty-like taste….i am going to give it a try…
will let you know if this helps…
thanks for the info…
dennismcgn
Hey neighbor….
Wow..Perfect!....What great news…......I can’t tell you how happy I am for you…....I’m also a bit jealous of the new wardrobe thing…..Take care….
Jeanne
Posted on hello anna i always think of you because you had
the erbitux like i did i am going to be one month
out of radiaiton and doing ok, still on shakes and doing some soups, yogart i only lost 20 lbs thur the whole thing and it was mostly after the radiation was over i think that was the worst month still have mucas haveing my ct scan next month and wont have my pet scan until april i am praying every day that it comes out like yours
i am so glad i did not have the feeding tube though, my neck is till sore once in awhile, thanks for your blogs and emails my questions, are
my husband wants to get away in 10 days for a couple of days and i guess i am ascared to leave the securtiy of my home.. how do you and anyone else feel about this.. take care and keep in touch
diane wagner at rlwcpoa@execpc.com
(((Anna))) What wonderful news! I know you are so happy! Wow….60 lbs! I’m at about 40lbs lost and none of my clothes fit either. Not going shopping yet though…lol…I’m afraid once I can eat again I’ll gain it all back!
Thank you so much for this wonderful update Gal! It sure lifts my spirits and helps keep me moving forward to hear such great things!
Big Hugs,
Trice :-)
Posted on 
Thanks for your support - 
