Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) P16+

@hrhwilliam was wondering about your journey and if after all treatments you followed a specific diet. Or did your eating pretty much go back to what you ate before? Reason I ask is because I'm attempting to completely overhaul how I eat and really working to get in shape. Doctors don't seem to say much about the nutritional aspects of this stuff. And I don't really know if it makes a lot of difference but it does seem to give one a sense of control in what is an uncontrollable situation.

I have had 35 radiation and 7 chemo and totally agree with the feeding tube it really help me and I had 60 hyperbaric treatments and would definitely suggest for you to look into it is the best and saved my voice box and repaired most of the radiation damage I cannot say enough about this .Please look into it .

Yes, I recommend the feeding tube. Good nutrition really help my quick healing.

So I'm three weeks out from surgery. Physically feel great. Eating what I want and exercising. Had first post-op CT and it was all clear. I know still early but any good news is good news. Will have PET/CT at 12 weeks plus exams from ENT every 2 months. Oncology thinks less than 10% chance it comes back so im going with that. Hopeful....

Agree on the radiation treatment being the worse to recover from. Radiation being accumulative, is the worse once you get to the last 2-3 weeks of it. Might wanna get the feeding tube to help with keeping your amt. of weight loss down and nutrition up. It’s a journey for sure but you can do it for better days ahead.

How are you doing?

Agreed 100%. Radiation is a very slow climb back to somewhat normal. And yes it does put your life into perspective. Well said!

I am astonished you can eat well but that is great! I could barely swallow a pill for the first 10 days. If they are not recommending radiation that means your staging was low from the pathology report and that is fantastic news. I got outside as much as possible and walked just to Breathe the air and look at clouds as strange as that seems. I would ask your Doctor about the NavDX blood test to monitor reoccurrence. It is not standard protocol yet but I think it will be in the future. I have read it is about 95% accurate. I assume you will have throat scopes/Ct Scan every 3 months for a few years and you can have the blood test done then.
Recovery.... As William said " The recovery from surgery is sooooo much easier than the recovery from radiation, which in most cases one never fully recovers. And it takes months to years before that settles out." That is 100% accurate. I recovered about 90% from the surgery within 30-45 days. However, The radiation really is 5 steps forward and 4 steps back from here on out. I don't expect to ever be 100% but Ill take 90% all day long. It sounds like without radiation you will have a much better outcome than most of us as far as the healing process. Hang in there a few weeks and I think you will be well on the road to recovery. Faith helped me and still does.

Good news. The recovery from surgery is sooooo much easier than the recovery from radiation, which in most cases one never fully recovers. And it takes months to years before that settles out.
Each day should get a little better. Frightening stuff this cancer but in some ways it can center your life a bit. I wish you well.

So still recovering from surgery. Drain is out. Staples come out tomorrow. Have an office at home so able to do some work. But this recovery is slow. Eating really well. Pathology came out and margins are clear. Surgeon predicted this outcome and will steer away from radiation. I meet with him tomorrow so excited about that. Really trying to keep my mind in the right place and that's proving difficult. Taking walks and stuff like that so that's helping. I feel like I should be celebrating but not feeling that way.