Oral, Head, Neck & Thyroid Cancer Survivor Stories
Daily Reminders
by David Kelley
Tinnitus is the correct medical term for it. What I call it is one of my daily reminders that at least I am alive and able to, literally, live with such things as the constant, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter but always present tinnitus. It’s that ringing, buzzing, droning, no longer annoying, always there side effect of my cancer treatment last year. Actually, it’s just one of the side effects of the cancer treatment.
Thrown for a Loop
by Mary Jedlicka Humston
Two thyroid cancer surgeries. Four weeks on a low iodine diet. One radioactive iodine treatment requiring three days of isolation. Five to six weeks of radiation therapy still ahead.
Turning a Corner
by Roger Tunsley
It’s Sunday evening, around nine o’clock. My wife, Kathy, and I are watching TV. I turn to her and ask if she would like anything – a snack or a drink. Then I suddenly remember; I have a scan in the morning and I’m not supposed to have anything to eat or drink after eight o’clock. I mention this to Kathy, and then we both realize what’s happened and we grin at each other. I’ve turned a corner.
More Than Survivors
by Chris Frey, MSW
I have had wonderful cancer care. At each stage of my journey, I have met highly skilled, efficient, and compassionate caregivers. I have also been repeatedly reminded that I am not just the recipient of that care; I am an active, vibrant member of the team, working to restore me to health.
Climbing Back from Cancer
by R. Sutton Wright
Twelve years ago, I was sitting in a surgeon’s office. He told me that I had stage IV cancer and that he had to remove my entire tongue, my voice box, and the large muscles on either side of my neck. I felt as if he was talking to somebody standing behind me. He couldn’t possibly be saying it to me.
