# ...And my 1-year post-cancer scan shows...drum roll, please...



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

TOTALLY CLEAR!!!!!

I had my scan yesterday. The scan itself took about an hour and a half, then they had me wait in the scan waiting area while the doc took a look, to make sure the images came out okay. They came to get me to do another round of images, and I thought, "oh, this can't be good." Plus, the additional images they wanted were on the side of my neck that's been bugging me for several months. Turned out to be radioactive saliva. They asked me to swish and swallow a full 12 oz. glass of water prior to the second round of images, and that totally changed what they saw.

A couple of months ago, I was 100% convinced that my cancer was lingering or recurring. I was certain simply because I've had this pain in my neck for months and months, and it was getting harder and harder to talk. My ENT had gone in at least 3 times with a camera to look at my vocal cords, and they were fine...so in my mind, what the heck else could it be?

Well, I finally got a referral to a speech pathologist, who used a different kind of camera to take a different view of my neck/throat/vocal area, and he could tell right away what was wrong. He diagnosed me with Dysphonia. The solution is "voice therapy" - like physical therapy, but for the voice. Basically, after my surgeries last year, my voice was weak, had no variation in pitch, no volume. But I do corporate training as well as focus groups and interviews for a living, so I HAVE to speak well. In a nutshell, I sub-consciously compensated by re-learning how to speak, using different muscles than normal. That worked fine...until it started causing so much pain!

So now, I'm going to voice therapy once a week, with a LOT of practice at home. I have to learn how to breathe differently/correctly and speak differently/correctly.

I bring this up only because despite the fact that a couple of months ago, I was certain my cancer had returned, once I saw that speech pathologist, I started to become hopeful again that my scan would be clear. And it was!

YAY!

Had a nice dinner with my husband last night to celebrate! With lots of iodine!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Octavia said:


> TOTALLY CLEAR!!!!!
> 
> I had my scan yesterday. The scan itself took about an hour and a half, then they had me wait in the scan waiting area while the doc took a look, to make sure the images came out okay. They came to get me to do another round of images, and I thought, "oh, this can't be good." Plus, the additional images they wanted were on the side of my neck that's been bugging me for several months. Turned out to be radioactive saliva. They asked me to swish and swallow a full 12 oz. glass of water prior to the second round of images, and that totally changed what they saw.
> 
> ...


I am so grateful to hear this wonderful news and I know that everyone who has been following your story feels the same way too!!

Octavia; I am so happy. I truly am! You and hubby must be elated as it has been a long and hard journey!!!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Yayayayay!!

I am so very happy to hear this!


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Me too! I am very happy. Congrats, and enjoy your iodine!


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## polly (Oct 29, 2010)

hugs4 So happy for you !!!


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Congratulations!!! Wonderful news. :hugs:


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks, all of you!


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## nodakmom (Oct 15, 2011)

Yay! Congrats!


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## CLRRN (Jun 22, 2011)

Yipppppeeeee Thanks for sharing the good news (i'm a little behind on responding-hehe).


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