Tongue Cancer: What are my treatment options?

Hi i just found out that ny mom has tongue cancer, is it possible to delay chemotherapy for 3months since there is no money and start alternative treatment

@otem, this must be distressing to find out that your mom has tongue cancer. It is best to talk with your mom's doctor about treatment options and financial assistance.

You can also talk with a social worker who can help. I encourage to look up "My Help Navigator" https://myhelpnavigator.auntbertha.com/ It is a social care network that connects people and programs — making it easy for people to find social services in their communities, including food, medical care, transportation, etc.

- My Help Navigator: https://myhelpnavigator.auntbertha.com/

Your local chapter of the American Cancer Society may also have financial programs to offer https://www.cancer.org/cancer/financial-insurance-matters/managing-health-insurance/programs-and-resources-to-help-with-cancer-related-expenses.html

I'm sorry that you and your mom are in the situation of having to consider delaying treatment. Do you know what stage your mom's cancer is? Was she diagnosed at a cancer center?

@otem I would recommend pursuing treatment as soon as possible. I hope the links Colleen has shared will help you. Alternative treatment is not well proven and not a substitute for primary medical care. I do many complementary treatments for my head and neck cancer, but these began after initial medical and surgical treatments. You can start researching beta Glucan for an immune stimulant, and look on Amazon for a book titled The Rebel’s Apothecary by Jessica Sansouci. I found that very educational. These treatments are Not a substitute for medical care.

ENT

As Colleen has mentioned, talk to the social worker at your treatment center as soon as you can to avoid delay!
I didn’t qualify for financial assistance but, our treatment center has a large number of people that donate money. This money goes towards treatments, prescriptions, gas cards, hotels, protein supplements etc. I’m sure treatment centers around the country have similar services as so many wealthy people have experienced cancer and are willing to help those in need!
Cancer has no favoritism, it attacks young, old, male, female, wealthy and poor.
Don’t be ashamed to reach out for help, these people donate from the goodness of their hearts for people like your mom!
Wishing you all the best
MOJO

I just went through six weeks of radiation and chemo now I’m coming out of it slow doctor said I had a huge tumor in my throat and now been month and a half. I still can’t follow a thing not even water wants to go down into my lungs just watch next can’t get much honey. I’m on the Mayo clinic thing.

Hello @jasonallen Welcome to Connect and the Head and Neck group. Here you are, a hard-working guy making the best of life and then you get hit with cancer. No cancer is good but throat cancer just messes with everyday living. Eating, talking, even breathing is hard when you are recovering from the physical abuse of radiation to the throat. Hopefully you are on the mend although I am sure it is a slow mend.
Radiation is like being cooked from the inside out. It will take a long time to heal inside. Months and likely a couple of years before things level out and we learn to deal with what damage remains. Churchill said "If you're going through hell, keep going". I say just take it one day at a time and measure progress by the month rather than day to day. Tomorrow might be worse than today yet next month likely will be better than this month. For me this was was hardest fight I ever had and I'm a Vietnam and Cold War vet. Tough times never last but tough people do.
Ask anything you want. Keep me posted of your progress. I want you to fight. One question, did you have surgery prior to rad and Chemo?

Welcome, @kellonl. Do you have experience with a head and neck cancer?

@jasonallen , hang in there my friend!
It took me nearly a year before I could eat and then oatmeal was my 3 meals a day for a year!
Eating and liquids are still a problem for the past 8 1/2 years.
You will be assigned to a speech therapist but as for me she was a waste of time and money so I stopped seeing her!
I found that my throat wasn’t going to cooperate until it was ready so I decided not to push it.
When you sip water try tipping your head forward before you swallow and do the same for ingesting your meds…I know, we were taught to tip our head back to swallow a pill when we were kids but tipping forward is what helped me.
If you’re experiencing the smell of food, even toast making you want to vomit, it’s normal. It took several months for me to tolerate the smell of any food.
Wishing you the best

MOJO

@jaysonallen, I thought I'd check in. How are you doing?