Just a quick introduction - just found this site and am quite impressed! Hubby and I have a web site but it needs to be updated, especially now that he has had a recurrence.

He was just hitting two years post-radiation when they told us that a lymph node on the other side of his neck had enlarged since his previous CT scan. They did a PET scan and it showed a hot spot and the needle biopsy gave us the diagnosis of SCC. Not a surprise, the surprise was the "inoperable/incurable" part.

So we are in palliative mode, buying whatever time we can. The last two months have been a constant whirlwind of doctor appointments and tests and the same will hold true over the next week +. He is scheduled to start IMRT on 12/29 and chemo will commence sometime that week. We are trying to squeeze in time to get the port put in as well as another PEG (he can't afford to lose any weight, barely maintaining now).

We've been going through all the "stuff" that has to be dealt with - wills, medical POA, directives, etc. Not fun but definitely necessary. We talk from time to time but have for the most part decided to keep our outlook positive, taking each day as it comes - know that each one is a gift.

Without treatment he wouldn't last more then 12-18 months. With treatment they are hoping to buy a couple additional years. We will continue to savor each and every moment!

Thanks for listening!

Donna