The First Wave - more on the Jan. 4 appt...

Well, I seem to have gone off on a little tangent in that last post... Can you tell I'm a wee bit frustrated with the process thus far?

I do want to give as much medical jargony info as I can. So brace yourself because here's what went down in the Dr. Matthew's visit. I wrote down all this info because it kept me from having to actually stop and register the implications of what he was saying.

I should mention that up to this point, I had kind of clung to the hope that it was just lymph node cancer and the cancer wasn't elsewhere.

• The middle ear on right side is full of fluid because the tumor is blocking the air tube to the ear. Hearing out of the right ear is impaired.
  
  
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is very different from lymph cancers.
  
  
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is often caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (although I read a medical abstract about this and I still don't understand how, but I guess it's kind of comforting to know where the cancer could have come from)
  
  
• Nasopharyngeal cancer is a genetic/ethnic disease. It is common in SE Asia and is the most common cancer in southern China.
  
  On an interesting side note, I was reading a blog by a guy in Singapore who survived nasopharyngeal cancer and he said his doctor asked him when he was first diagnosed if he was Cantonese. Apparently in Singapore this type of cancer is also referred to as "Cantonese cancer."
  
  Here's a link to the blog: http://nosecancer.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-is-npc.html
  
  
• My fiance was born in Vietnam and his parents are from China.
  
  
• Typically nasopharyngeal cancer remains hidden till it spreads to the lymph nodes
  
  
• My fiance's cancer is eroding the bottom of his skull above the tumor, it wrapped itself around the carotid artery and the nerve that affects the tongue (hence the losing of taste)
  
  
• Nasopharyngeal cancer seems to respond well to radiation
  
  
• Nasoparyngeal cancer cannot in most cases be treated by surgery because of its location
  
  
• Radiation therapy is needed along with chemotherapy
  
  
• In radiation therapy they shape the beam and dose and have to shield the nose and eyes
  
  
• A dentist in the cancer clinic must be seen - all cavities must be filled because radiation is really hard on the teeth. Also, flouride trays must be made so he can strengthen his teeth before each treatment.
  
  
• A head and neck cast must be made to hold the head and neck in exactly the same place for each treatment
  
  
• Radiation for 7 weeks, Monday to Friday
  
  
• Treatment will be brutal but the first couple weeks he should feel ok
  
  
• 4-6 weeks to totally recover from the acute radiation effects
  
  
• Be off work for at least 4 months
  
  
• Start treatment in a couple weeks
  
  
• There will be flu-like symptoms from the chemo
  
  
• The cancer is pretty advanced, which is unfortunate
  
  
• You get it once and hopefully you get rid of it
  
  
• It will knock the socks off you for 6 months to year
  
  
• If untreated, it could have neurological effects and lead to meningitis
  
  
• The cancer has been there for a year

All these bits and bobs were thrown out by Dr. Matthew. The next steps were to get an appt made with the cancer hospital to get my fiance into their system. A biopsy of the primary cancer site - the nasopharynx - was also set up.