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Vital Info

Name:
Nicole (Lady Of The Larynx) (ladyofthelarynx)

Member Since:
May 27, 2011

Location:
San Francisco, California

Birthday:
August 4, 1951

Profile:
Cancer Survivor

Cancer Info

Type of Cancer:
Larunx Cancer

Medical Term for the Type of Cancer:
Invasive, poorly differentiated non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma w/basaloid features.

Diagnosis Date:
December 14, 2010

Stage of Cancer:
Stage 2

Lymph Node Involvement:
No

Radiation:
Radiation Therapy

What I Hate Most About Cancer:
It's so expensive: monetarily, physically, and emotionally.

What I Have Learned From Cancer:
That humanity transcends even cancer

Things My Supporters Can Do To Help:
Be love.

Cancer Drugs Positives & Negatives:
Erbitux iv sessions once per week thankfully had less severe side effects than most chemo therapies.

Cancer Center:
CA Pacific Medical Center - San Francisco

End of Treatment Date:
March 31, 2011

Larunx Cancer Symptoms:

Dysphonia, plus on & off sore throat

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

36 total radiation sessions February 02 – March 25, 2011. After about 13 sessions my throat pain required ongoing codeine relief, and the skin on my neck began showing signs of intensifying sunburn. By the end of February my voice went missing and is just starting to return as June begins.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

12 total Erbitux sessions, once weekly, January 13 – March 31, 2011. Increasing fatigue and, ironically, insomnia following each session. From mid February through the end of treatments, somehow the Radiation/Erbitux mix seemed to spawn clusters of migraines.

Stats

Posts: 20

Photos: 6

Events: 1

My Supporters: 56

I Support: 74

Comments: 1603

Nicole (Lady Of The Larynx)'s Profile Page

Biography

I grew up in Madison, WI, and then spent years on the shores of Lake Superior with my 1st husband. In the mid 1980s we divorced & I moved to San Francisco. The comedy scene was thriving and I plunged right in.
With the AIDS epidemic at its height, like a lot of comedians, I did my share of AIDS benefits & volunteer gigs. This was the pre “cocktail” AIDS era, and it was a hard lesson to learn how to not turn away as friends and acquaintances died in their prime.
I met Don, my second husband, on the San Francisco stand-up circuit. We were comedians, passing each other on stage and off, years before we dated. Being in no particular hurry, we waited another 14 years to get married. Currently we share our S.F. Mission District flat with 2 rescue cats.
In the spring of 2010 my throat began feeling slightly sore. A few months later my voice started going hoarse. The ENT doctor saw some irritation that summer, but nothing alarming. Symptoms continued through fall on & off, though I felt I was worrying about nothing. It wasn’t until I saw Michael Douglas talk about his throat cancer, that I decided I had to go back to the ENT. This time he saw something; and on Dec. 9th, 2010 the Biopsy caught my larynx tumor at stage 2.

Cancer Symptoms

Dysphonia, plus on & off sore throat

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

Comments:

Ha. The only difference between my previous life and my “retirement” now is that there is no paycheck at the end of the month…but at least I don’t have to be at the office at 9 am.

Today I spent five hours working on the 4th Annual Scavenger Hunt for the museusm….one of many days. Should I put that on my tombstone (not that I will have one)...What I’d like to put is “She Outwitted the Squirrels!” But that remains an open question right up to the last battle…

Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:27:12 PM by Private User

Hey Nicole- Just checking on you and making sure you are good..are ya? huh?

: )

Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:53:11 PM by Kerry

Dear Nicole;

It is so good to hear from you, young lady! Now I can hear violins playing, while you are enjoying some great wine and cookies, stopping every once in awhile to use the rose on you table to pick your teeth, while the handsome men behind you are singing your favorite yellow-mellow songs…There is some dialogue in there, (you are the comedian..who is cracking up you little trio behind you, of course Don is getting a little jealous so you bat your sparkly long eyelashes, picked especially for this special occasion.

Back to reality. Your brother, is pretty selfish, he has a big club, with lots of members that is for sure. Couldn’t he spare a little empathy for his sister?! I have a feeling your Uncle probably won’t like him, won’t that be a crusher, considering how he has treated you. That just seems to be the way things go. I wonder if your Uncle has money or something like that, that your brother may be interested? I doubt he is trying to reach him to make amends with him about something, because he doesn’t sound like he has much, considering your Cancer situation, and his lack of compassion.

You talked about seeing a someone to talk to. It is pretty hard to get around, and I usually I am not crazy about those “type” of people.” They can be condescending (I am okay..why aren’t you?) Most female from that profession talk in a sweet way. (they say too much sugar can make Cancer progress faster.)

I never saw some sister as someone who is depressed..that is something to think about!)

Well my leg is getting sore.

Hang in there.

Love Barb

Posted on May 3, 2012 at 12:44:00 PM by Private User

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