Dear Eva, My surgeon removed a chunk of my tongue and lymph nodes in March 2019 for oral cancer. I just finished radiation. My tongue is tight and I cannot eat well.The doctor says it will take 2-4 months after radiation, but I don’t feel any progress. Any advice? Regards, Asmaa Dear Asmaa, Radiation causes your tongue to feel stiff …
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Anxiety During Radiation Therapy to the Head and Neck
Dear Eva, 5 down and 25 to go! I’m having a lot of anticipatory anxiety before the treatment and am fine after it. Some of my appointments are at night because I haven’t gotten into an earlier slot soon enough. Waiting all day gets to me, mainly nauseous. Any tips for me ? I need to calm this stomach of …
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Jim Kelly: Oral Cancer Survivor and ESPYS Perseverance Award Winner
How has oral cancer affected Jim Kelly? Listen to his voice. Or, rather his articulation. Can you imagine how he eats differently, swallows differently, sleeps with difficulty? Oral cancer is devastating and you cannot hide the results under your clothes. Jim Kelly accepts the Perseverance Award from ESPYS and gives a 5-minute acceptance speech mentioning his son Hunter and how …
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: No Effect on Squamous Cell Cancer Growth
Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) cause squamous cell cancer cells in the oral cavity or orapahrynx to run rampant? I met one survivor who believes HBOT caused her recurrence. When I was asked by another survivor if she should consider HBOT for radiation fibrosis, I figured I better ask an expert. This study suggests that supplying extra oxygen has no effect on squamous cell …
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Dental Implants: An Accidental Discovery
Dr. Branemark, an orthopedic surgeon and research professor, was studying how blood flow affects bone healing and implanted titanium into the feet of rabbits. When he discovered he couldn’t remove the titanium because it integrated with the bone, he realized titanium could anchor artificial teeth. This accidental discovery took years to market because it was the belief that anything foreign …