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| Date Entered at Shared Experience: 11/17/2001 |
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MOUTH |
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My Dad was diagnosed with mouth cancer 2 years past in September. He had a persistent sore throat for 6-8 weeks, which was treated unseccessfully by different antibiotics on numerous visits to his GP. Being a nurse myself all the warning bells were ringing and I asked him to aske for a referral to an ENT consultant. This was done and within minutes the consultant diagnosed oral cancer, my Dad had 2 rodent ulcers at the back of his mouth. Fear, anger, despair,resentment, I saw all these emotions over my Dads face. Wothin 5 days he was admitted for major surgery. |
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My Dad had major surgery, 16 hours in theatre, he was unrecognisable when we saw him, but he was still my Dad. His face was so swollen and he had a tracheostomy tube to help him breathe. This was what distressed him the most I think, he was worried about having ' a hole in his throat'. However after aout 3 days of discomfort , what a difference in him, he amazed the nurses and dr's with his recovery.And us , he amazed us too, because there is a lot of history of cancer in our family and my Dad always said that if it happened to him he wouldn't have any treatment but he was so strong and I am so very proud of him. Surgery went well and he didn't thankfully need any chemotherapy, he had 6 weeks of radiation treatment, five days a week which again he surprised us how well he coped with it. Until 4 months ago he was doing really well, his speech is great now althought he still doesn't have any taste. However he says that this is a smallprice to pay for his health. He has been in terrible pain for the past 4 months down the left side of his face, no-one can get to the bottom of this pain despite him having bone scans, mri scans etc. So this is really getting him down. I feel so so guilty because I feel that I can't do any more for him about the pain so I am hoping that maybe somebody here can help me out with any ideas that they may have used themselves. |
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I don't feel that my Dad is living life to the full just now because of the pain he is in. His quality of life is not as it should be. |
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Mainly myself as I have access to a lot of information being a nurse. |
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I wish that there was more support around for people with oral cancer. It seems to be sadly lacking |
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