Wow, that does sound ... interesting. Definitely go for the painkiller, at least so you'll have it on hand if you want it! The better they can target it, the better the results, I would imagine, and the fewer weird side effects later? That's a thought to hold on to during treatment, anyway.

Lots of hugs! I just hit my 5-year mark from my first diagnosis ... it's been a wild ride, but we've gotten through it, and we keep on keeping on.

Surgery 5/31/13
Tongue lesion, right side
SCC, HPV+, poorly differentiated
T1N0 based on biopsy and scan
Selective neck dissection 8/27/13, clear nodes
12/2/13 follow-up with concerns
12/3/13 biopsy, surgery, cancer returned
1/8/14 Port installed
PEG installed
Chemo and rads
2/14/14 halfway through carboplatin/taxotere and rads
March '14, Tx done, port out w/ complications, PEG out in June
2017: probable trigeminal neuralgia
Fall 2017: HBOT
Jan 18: oral surgery