Thread: Teeth
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Old 07-04-2015, 02:06 PM   #7
StephN
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
Wink Re: Teeth

Sorry to hear about your teeth Suzan! I have dental ins, which pays for half the cost of a crown, and I am grateful for that!

I would not normally hype a product here, but ---

Biotene - both toothpaste AND mouthwash - for dry mouth. We already had it for hubby and I became a strict user when I started hard chemos in 2000. Since my hubby uses it his tooth loss has completely stopped.

I have had normal issues with ancient fillings cracking needing crowning. I am very careful about not eating really hard crunchy things (like popcorn, corn nuts, etc.) and have never chewed gum.

Getting my 4th crown "seated" on Monday. I already had one when I began treatment and the other two happened probably 7-8 years ago. So, not too bad a record.

However being hormone neg, I did not need ongoing treatment for that, although not sure about harm to teeth and gums from hormone suppressors.
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MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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