Well, beyond clicking the "Return to this topic" checkbox under "Additional options", I don't think there's any way you can.
If the problem is that you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount of traffic, I have two suggestions. First, start out by clicking the link to "Show new replies to your posts." That way, you know you're looking at topics you already have an interest in. After you do that, click on the link above it "Show unread posts since last visit." I always start at the last active page and work my way forward to the most recent posts. That way, if a topic is particulary active, I won't miss anything. As I reach the top of each page, I refresh that page, using the Refresh button in the browser window, just to clear every possible topic on that page before I click to the next one forward. When I finish Page 1, I always click "Mark all messages as read." This zeroes everything out and wipes the slate clean, so to speak, so that the next time I return, I don't have to figure out where to start again.
Last, as you read, you can tell a lot about what interests you and what doesn't. For example, I rarely have any interest in VIN, fender tag and buildsheet questions, so anything posted in those boards, I'll almost always skip. Once you figure out what interests you, you can cruise through the board in 30-45 minutes a day if you want. Unless you're like all us other post hounds who spend hours at work and in the evening cruising CC instead of doing other, more productive things.
