I'm new here. Hope I can find my way back! My husband [...]

I am sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. I am going to write you a private message with some suggestions - please click on "messages" at the top of the page to see my note.

Ozark,
What does your husband want to do? From what you've said, if the doctor thinks surgery is your best option, it's probably to decrease your husband's discomfort. It doesn't sound like you've been offered other options. It may help alleviate the painful coughing. Sore throat pain is difficult to alleviate and if it's caused by coughing, the cough has to be treated. Your husband may try to avoid coughing and be headed for pneumonia. Has the doctor talked about a feeding tube?
Regardless of what treatment your husband gets, the pain must be decreased. It sounds like he may need opioids (narcotics), a side effect of those drugs can be relaxing breathing and deterring coughing.
Has the doctor talked about hospice care? If not, you would be helped immensely by palliative care. Their focus is dealing with serious side effects and avoiding complications. They can send a palliative care nurse to check on your husband at home and talk to the doctor about what's going on and what would be helpful to achieve comfort and help with coping with what's going on.
Anything I try to say about what your husband needs is hitting a road block because I don't see the whole picture. A palliative care nurse can assess what's needed and support you as well as your husband.
Carol (a moderator here and an RN)

I am really sorry you have to go through all this again with your Husband. I was just two years away from when I was diagnosed. I had a couple of scares but it was a chronic lung infection and just one other scare. But another occurrence is something that I have been pretty scared about. I know you said that you already did radiation, however, was there much damage done from the initial treatment? I ask only because I heard some of the top hospitals are trying reirradiation.
That is not what I wanted to tell you though. I read something last night that said they saw quite a bit of success with Ketrudra. As long as his PD-1 and PD-L1 are high then he will be accepted to take it and it should have some effect. I try to stay on top of things as much as I could and I think if that happened to me tomorrow that is what I would try first., I would also consider the robotic surgery if it were available to me and the chances of getting clear margins were possible. I will think and hope for you that everything will go ok.I would definitely want the best doctors I could find if a second time was to come upon me.

Not familiar with the term - reirradiation, do mind explaining? I recently started Keytruda - I' have scans next week.

The doctor did mentioned the possibility of more radiation but seemed to think surgery would be the better way to go. We haven't really seen him since The endoscopy, though, and maybe he will have a more thorough assessment of his physical condition. I know he has some related issues with surgery -- he's had bypass surgery and is a diabetic. I don't know what PD1 and PDL1 are! I've read about robotic surgery but don't fully understand It. Since his first cancer two years ago, I've tried to be put all thoughts of Cancer out of my mind. I should have known better. When he had radiation before nobody ever mentioned that it would interfere with him having more radiation; or talked about the chances of more cancer in the throat area. Why aren't they forthcoming about such information? Even if it didn't change our decision, it would have been nice to know. Well, thanks for all the information. I'm arming myself with information and can maybe get answers from the doctors next week. He is being treated at Roswell cancer Institute in Buffalo and I have confidence in the doctor and the hospital. And, thanks, and I'll keep you updated, if you like.

Ozark,
With Faith helping you, I feel like you're in good hands. Please do keep us updated.
Carol

Thanks, fellow passengers ...

I believe a speech therapist should be seeing your husband. He/she will help with chin tucks and maybe recommend consistency of fluids etc. Very helpful. One visit may be all you need. Also get second opinion. Maybe its time for hospice...they are wonderful!

Thanks for the suggestion. We will definitely follow up!

Tom,
"Reirradiation" is radiation done in an area that had radiation before. It's a term they use most often in head and neck cancer. Basically, they use it as a strategy when there are no realistic options. They don't like doing radiation to the same areas of the body a second time because it can damage the healthy areas around the target.
I'm glad you're getting Keytruda, please let us know how your scans look.
Carol