Hi Lyn and welcome to OCF! Really sorry you have to be here. The OCF forum and website is the best one-stop source for all things related to oral cancer. Be thankful you found this website before your treatment started � I didn�t find it to about 6 months after my 1st surgery.

I live north of Philadelphia (near Allentown) and in the 7 years since I was diagnosed with OC I have been to a number of doctors and hospitals in Pennsylvania (including Fox Chase) and Maryland (Johns Hopkins). Fox Chase is a great facility with great doctors. I know a number of OCF members that were treated there and they share the same opinion. Being comfortable and confident with your medical team is very important in your treatment.

I�ve also found meeting and connecting with OC survivors a valuable part of treatment also. The forum offers that as well as the awareness walks. There is another walk not too far from you on 9/29 in Bethlehem, PA (see Lehigh Valley Awareness Walk). This walk is organized by local OC survivors (I�m the co-chair) including many that have reached the 10+ year mark.

Since you have an hour drive to Fox Chase, try to line up drivers to take you to your treatments especially on chemo days and during the latter part of your RT treatment. I also had so many questions at each appointment, I would ask my doctor if I could record the discussion � some will allow it, but others won�t.

And continue to come to the forum to ask questions or just for support. Good luck with the mask fitting. It was a little unnerving for me as I didn't know what to expect. I wish you the best!