I am sitting here with my coffee looking over the calm autumn lake and find myself wondering "what happened?", to my life? I bet all of you are wondering the same thing!?

Now I am a married, 55 yr old Mom to 2 and bonus Mom to 4 others (kids don't like the word 'step'. 4 yrs ago my dentist found something suspicious on my tongue and sent me straight away to CancerCare Manitoba, Health Science Centre in Winnipeg (Canada). Dr. Paul Kerr said that what the dentist found was actually alright but he didn't like something on the back of my tongue..so off I went for a biopsy then into hospital for my first laser surgery. It turned out to be precancerous, 2006.

They saw me every 3mths and 2yrs later they found something else which they did a wedge resection of, precancerous again. Now fast forward to cancer this year which was complicated by my bipolar disorder/crohn's disease and complicated migraines. 2009 and '10 have been a bust! I was dx in July with SCC of the underside of front right tongue which quickly spread to the floor of my mouth. In August Dr. Paul Kerr layered 1/3 of my tongue off, which is growing back, and lasered all the cancer off the floor of my mouth. 3 weeks later he removed 40 nodes in a right neck dissection, there was one microscopic spot in one node. No chemo no radiation.

When I found this forum a few weeks ago I was thrilled,then I was scared, then I read a bit backed off and came in more and more often. I finally was able, today, to put my story down in print. My husband and daughter and I had no idea about the HVP connection this summer and I still don't know if I have it but I will ask.

When I was 16 I smoked for 2 yrs then for 2 yrs from 1991-93. I have maybe 5 drinks per year, maybe. I used mouthwash for 3 mths...who knew the alcohol in mouthwash is cancer causing??!! What they saw in my mouth is what they see in alcoholics and chain smokers. Like so many pts we were shell shocked.

I high tailed out of hospital the morning after my tongue surgery. My nurse said if everyone did so well they would all be out of jobs. I was only in 2 days wih the neck resection, I was out of bed and walking the halls outrunning the nurse with the heparin needle! I wanted to go home on day 2 but they made me stay an extra night because my drains weren't clear.

If it were not for my husband and daughter I would have folded up a long time ago, they are just Stars!!! I have golden friends who were and are really pulling for me, and I them. If I have no recurrence I will be considered cured in 5yrs, something to aim for. One day at a time for all of us.

The generosity of spirit in here is huge, I think each of you are heros.

Light and blessings to my new family.


55 yrs, Female, smoked for 4 yrs 35 yrs. ago, SCC right underside tongue and floor of mouth, laser surgery took 1/3 tongue Aug 2010, 3 weeks later in Sept right neck dissection 40 nodes removed with 1microscopic spot in one node. No chemo or radiation.