Anne:
Minneapolis might still be out of network for my insurance, I think. I will find out.

The doctor may have said four lymph nodes were removed, I can't remember. How many are on the left side of the neck? Hmm, some Googling tells me they're called "Submandibular" and there are three to six of them. Is that right? So that would mean three would be on the left side, I assume. That would mean he removed all of the left-side submandibulars. Are you saying he should have taken the right side ones too? Or other ones near thee three left side submandibulars?

By the way, does the involvement of both tongue and lymph nodes mean it has "metastisized"?

Charm:
I believe I'm stage III or IV. I'll be told my staging on Wednesday. When My doctor said 70-80% he only knew about the tongue, he did not know about the lymph nodes. I think he gave me stage I statistics.

Cheryl:
If you reach five years cancer-free, odds are not the same as everyone else. Odds are 50-50 again. Every 5 years, you have to win a coin toss. You have to win it every time, or game over.

Christine:
Does it really matter that much whether you're at the "Ivy League" of treatment centers? Is cancer treatment really that non-standard? Maybe I could manage commutes to the Twin Cities. Or I might be able to move in with a friend in Tucson. She lives in a three-room house and she had a heart/lung transplant about 12 years ago but is in pretty decent health. I think she'd have me.

Angelia:
I'm sure I'm at a higher stage than you at first diagnosis, but nice to hear.

Eric:
I actually don't have a spouse or children. Just parents and a sister. Maybe I shouldn't worry about financial ruin since I can't pass it on. Man, I don't want to lose my house and ruin my credit for life, though. Obviously I should if my chances are so much better if I leave St. Cloud, but are they? Sounds like you started out wealthy and with an education. I'm starting out a high school graduate with a union job at a factory, insured by an HMO, living paycheck to paycheck on $34,500 before taxes, single and with no dependents.

All:
Good points on statistics, and I always had basically your view on them. I still wanted to know them.