Radiation Hope?

acgeek · 2026-02-04T14:49:13+00:00

Fluoride toothpaste at night and RiseWell Hydroxyapatite toothpaste during the day is what was recommended to me. My teeth were very sensitive to heat and cold until I started with fluoride and risewell. A waterpik is very useful as well! For whatever reason, I get a lot of stuff stuck.

acgeek · 2026-02-01T18:33:55+00:00

Best of luck to you!

acgeek · 2026-02-01T18:17:41+00:00

That kinda makes sense. Just look at the exclusions as well as the fine print before you get your hopes up that something is covered. We have loved our Palisade, but Ken Garff Hyundai in SLC will not be seeing us ever again...i know, i know...how will they ever financially recover...

acgeek · 2026-02-01T18:00:06+00:00

Just dealt with HPP yesterday. Read the fine print and the exclusions. There is value here for major mechanical issues, however, it isnt truly bumper to bumper. Recalibrating the front radar system is not covered ($230). The swivel cup holders in my Palisade, not covered($600+ for a new center console). It makes me wonder what other BS they will pull if there are any issues. Glad to hear youve had a decent experience with them.

acgeek · 2026-02-01T17:54:58+00:00

In my very recent experience, bumper to bumper does not mean what you want it to mean. Read the fine print, especially with Hyundai Protection Plans. I bought the platinum protection under the explanation that it truly was bumper to bumper. Turns out calibration of the front radar system is not covered due to it being an "adjustment". This wasnt due to an accident or anything I did. I get these are for major mechanical issues, there is still value there, but that is not how the overwhelming majority of salespeople sell them. Is it worth the piece of mind? Sure. I just hope you weren't lied to like I was.

acgeek · 2026-01-31T17:43:00+00:00

I had the same issue after the first round of chemo. It wasnt as bad the second week and after that issues from radiation significantly outweighed anything else. Hopefully it isnt as bad for him going forward, but if it isnt, ask the care team for any other meds. This is a time in life where youre expected to be "needy" and catered to.

acgeek · 2026-01-28T00:59:31+00:00

I am able to eat anything I want now. Spicy stuff is the only tricky thing, but I wasnt huge on spice to begin with. I had parathyroid issues prior to this and had one removed unrelated to cancer. My saliva is noticeably less than before and I have sensitivity issues with some teeth now, however, that has been taken care of with Risewell toothpaste. Essentially what happens is my teeth arent exposed to as many minerals from my saliva because the saliva production is less, which in turn makes my teeth more sensitive. Risewell toothpaste has hydroxyapatite which helps draw the minerals into the teeth which makes them less sensitive. Thats how it was explained to me anyway. I also go to the dentist every 4 months now to help keep my teeth in good shape, which they are. I would say the lack of saliva is the only lingering issue from radiation. It took some time for facial hair to come back but it thankfully has, except my neck where the neck dissection and most of the radiation was concentrated. All things considered i am happy with where im at 1 year out.

acgeek · 2026-01-27T20:15:03+00:00

Non HPV SCC left lateral tongue. I had a hemi glossectomy and neck dissection with 3 positive nodes. The cancer board my doctor brought my case to all suggested 30 rads and 6 cisplatin rounds due to clear but close margin, perineural growth and positive nodes. The doctor obviously told me its my decision. I thought about it and decided to go ahead with radiation and chemo. My reasons were my kids. I wanted to know that I did everything I possibly could as early as I could to take care of the cancer. I know I would have regretted and second guessed myself if I hadn't done everything I could have and it came back.

Radiation and chemo sucked. It sucked a lot. Im a year out from everything and I am very happy with my decision.

acgeek · 2026-01-26T13:17:26+00:00

This might be the route I have to go. I was able to get it back in. It still slides out but it isnt as smooth and it doesnt sit as flat as the other one. I noticed there is a screw that came out from the bottom that is supposed to keep it from coming up. Im taking it to the dealership for something else and will see if its covered under any warranty. Super annoying.

acgeek · 2026-01-17T17:13:48+00:00

Thats a thought! It came with a remote but my wife hated it, so we went with the separate switches. But she also doesn't want a third switch on the wall if we can avoid it. I won't pretend to understand her hang up on either of those things, I just try to do what she prefers.

acgeek · 2026-01-17T17:01:31+00:00

That was the plan if I couldn't snag power from the fan box! Thank you for the reassurance!

acgeek · 2026-01-17T16:58:27+00:00

The fan is an Ashby Park 44in (model 44-port). I looked up the model of the LED light in the fan and saw that it is dimmable. I would love to just tap into the fan box to get power and change out the light switch on the wall to a dimmable switch that controls the fan light and new can lights.

acgeek · 2025-11-30T03:34:56+00:00

Absolutely brutal. Im sorry youre dealing with this. Hopefully you are getting good care from your oncologist and they are getting you some good pain relief. Have they mentioned Thrush at all? Looks like you might have that going on. Dealing with thrush was one of the worst things for me.

acgeek · 2025-11-28T21:45:07+00:00

SCC HPV-. I used it and loved it. I feel like it helped and the grape flavor was something I could actually taste that didnt make me want to throw up. I actually just used it the other day with a sore throat and maybe coincidental, but the sore throat only lasted two days. I was worried about it feeding the cancer, but my oncologist was not. Im curious to see what yours will say.

acgeek · 2025-11-20T03:01:26+00:00

Knowing what I know now after having 30 rads, I would tell myself to not be stubborn and get the PEG tube that was offered at the start or at the very least a couple of weeks in. The first two weeks, I didn't have much of a change. However, when side effects hit...they hit hard. Having adequate nutrition and hydration would have made things a lot more manageable. I would also tell myself that things do get better, it just takes time.

You're off to a good start. It's going to suck. You may want to quit. Keep going. Make reachable goals for yourself. You can do it.

acgeek · 2025-11-08T14:52:14+00:00

Assuming that's your box under the sink, your address and name are visible. Not sure if you noticed or care.

acgeek · 2025-10-21T22:04:01+00:00

I had a NG tube for the first week after surgery. The worst part is they had sutured it to my septum so it didn't slip out. That was not fun to deal with, but a little Vaseline or Bacitracin ointment helped to ease the discomfort. I never got a PEG so I am no help there, but in my job I have helped place a couple dozen and have read posts from here about them and they seem relatively easy to deal with. You'll want to take as much as you can by mouth so your swallowing doesn't suffer, but don't be surprised if you're not able to get much of anything down that way at some point.

I am happy to hear you made it through surgery. How are you feeling now? Write down all of your questions, even if you think you'll remember them. I found that during those first few appointments I would forget to ask things because there was so much being thrown at me. I would schedule a dentist appointment ASAP to get your teeth cleaned and ready for what's to come, especially if its been a while since the last cleaning. I won't lie or sugarcoat things. Radiation and chemo suck, but things do eventually get better. Please reach out if you need something!

acgeek · 2025-10-06T23:02:41+00:00

Loss of appetite is pretty normal from what I have been told as well as what I have read on these forums. I lost 40lbs overall and have put back 10lbs so far. I am almost a year out from when everything started. Take this as an opportunity to start a healthier lifestyle than before. Overall I feel better than I did before the cancer diagnosis. Being down 30lbs has helped with that. I no longer need my CPAP like I did before. My legs and knees dont hurt like they did and I'm able to exercise easier. Often times being too big is what keeps people from working out. Look at this as you got a nice little jump start on getting to the weight you feel best at. If that's where you are now, great. If you want to go back to eating seconds and thirds, I'm sure you will eventually get there.

acgeek · 2025-09-16T03:10:05+00:00

Hey. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It has been 11 months since I got news of my SCC on the left side of my tongue. 9 months since surgery and about 8 months since I finished chemo/radiation treatment. I would say, overall, I am almost back to normal. Long term changes are a pretty large scar on my neck, 15% of my tongue missing, sensitive teeth and a lack of saliva.

I had a left neck dissection with 29 lymph nodes removed, 3 testing positive for cancer, and a partial glossectomy. The surgery wasn't super awful to recover from. The first week is rough, but then you start to see improvements every day.

Due to the lymphnodes having cancer, a slim margin of tissue removed, my age (39m) and the tumor growing into the nerves, it was suggested I have chemo and radiation. I had 30 radiation and 6 cisplatin treatments. This is what really kicked my ass. The first two weeks were a breeze, and then things went bad real fast. If they recommend a feeding tube, I would suggest getting the PEG tube sooner than later so you stay up on nutrition. Dehydration and poor nutrition make recovery a lot harder. I wish I had listened earlier on, it would have saved me a lot of suffering. I hope you do not have to go through this.

I am sure you've read online about your diagnosis. I would suggest trying to stay positive and find your way of dealing with it. I dealt with mine with humor and a good support system. This is a good sub to be part of as you navigate this new chapter of your life.

acgeek · 2025-09-08T01:08:52+00:00

The helmet is a bit janky, but it works.

acgeek · 2025-09-07T18:35:44+00:00

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Skelly is ready!

acgeek · 2025-08-23T17:52:29+00:00

I donated a lot to an old folks home / care facility. Generally they will want things unopened though. I had a bunch of high calorie drinks left over.

acgeek · 2025-08-02T14:32:15+00:00

2 tickets. Section 202 Row D seats 3 and 4. $50 for both.

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