Thank you all for your very kind words of support, your honesty, and encouragement. i really appreciate all of it.

Mom wants to pursue tretment, even tho the docs (Emory Hospital in Atlanta) agree that there's about a 50% chance she won't survive the treatment. Rather, they'll be forced to stop before it is curative. 50/50 is a nasty number to hear, really ties your hands. But she's moving forward. They can't tell us how likely a recurrence will be. She'll receive PeT scans every 3 months for a year, assuming she makes it through the TX.

She had her remaining natural teeth extracted yesterday and will be fitted for the mask (simulation?) tomorrow. Really dreading that. She's managed to gain about 4 pounds in 10 days. Not great, but moving in the right direction, at least.

She's in a rehab center right now but is moving toa ssisted living (with Medicare home health nurses to visit daily) this weekend. Radiation and Carbo-Taxol begin the 23rd. They need time for her mouth to heal from the extractions and time for the computer to map her face, I guess. Don't know why that takes so long.

So many uncertainties. I wish we had more family to help with the decisions and the assistance.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, I sincerely hope you all are doing well in your recovery and cures!

Kathy