Hi I'm Paul from liverpool england age 53 and married to a beautiful supportive wife called Brenda.
It's nice to meet you all.

Brenda and I have been together for 25 years but having a busy country pub and restaurant we just never got around to getting married. Last year however we decided to make it legal. The wedding day was set for the 25th november and a carribean cruise booked for 26th november for 18 days.

I visited my dentist on 7th november 2005 (national oral cancer week) in the uk to get the teeth polished for the wedding. He spotted some white lesions under my tongue of which i wasnt aware. referred for small biopsy then a simple op on Dec 19th to remove the lump from front floor of mouth and that would be it.

2 weeks after the op i saw the consultant and expected the good news.

I was told there was more than at first thought.

I would be having a full neck dissection both sides and lymph node removal both sides. the entire floor of mouth to be removed and replaced with a radial flap from the forearm. the forearm tissue to be replaced with stomach tissue.Part of lower jaw and all lower teeth removed. 6 upper teeth removed. Titanium implants fitted. tracheostomy and stomach peg fitted. Peg still in place. reconstructive surgery to begin approx 6 months after the op.

Now had the op and all seems well.

Cant talk properly and cant eat solids but alive and happy to be so. the good news is that i might be escaping radiotherapy. Will know soon enough.
the first op took about 1 and a half hours the second op took 11 hours.

i had a million and one questions to ask before the ops but forgot them whenever i was with the consultant, i was too taken aback with what he had to say so if anyone has any questions i can help with or is facing a similar ordeal and i can be of help then ask away.
its great to know that a forum like this exists. i hope i can have some small input in times to come.

I have a scar running from ear to ear, my neck is like a car tyre, i sound like the elephant man and i feed myself through a peg tube in my stomach.

But I am aware that there are people worse off than me.

My perspective on life has changed, things that were so important are not now.

I was told that i have one lymph node that is positive and that it was one of the ones taken out so i feel that i have a lot to look forward to. I hope to be contributing something to this forum whenever I can. it really is good to be able to write things down and also to read about other peoples experiences.

kindest regards to all,

Paul

aged 53 SCC stage III surgery but probably no radio or chemo therapy. Alive and happy.