Hi,
I am so glad to have found this site. I wish I would have found it last summer!

I was diagnosed in August 2007 with SCC on the front right side of my tongue. I had a chipped tooth and thought the sore on my tongue was from that. The sore didn't heal after the tooth was fixed. I went to my GP who said I needed to see an ENT that day and get biopsied. I saw the family ENT who wouldn't biopsy as my GP suggested - the ENT said he's been doing this 30 years and was a dentist before becoming an ENT and this wasn't cancer. He had me take antiobiotics, then anti-viral and thrush meds. This went on all summer. I had a problem while he was on vacation which caused me to see a new ENT - best thing to happen to me. He immediately biopsied and it came back positive for cancer.

Two weeks later, I had surgery on 9/06/07. I got an infection from foley cath and was in hospital for 15 days (106 fever, infection and then pulmonary embolism). Five weeks later, started radiation. The surgeon and RO said it's better to be aggressive and even though some might say I didn't need radiation with T1N0M0, they felt it better to be aggressive particulary since I have never smoked and only occasionally have a drink. They also said there was nothing to target after surgery so IMRT was out. They did what they referred to as 'old fashioned' radiation - widespread, the upper half of my neck and the lower 2/3 of my mouth. They said it would be rough, and they were right. But still, it's one of the miracles of modern medicine. i finished RTx on 12/05/07.

I'm about 90% healed from radiation at this time. I have some blisters in my mouth and roof of mouth still that the surgeon decided might be fungal. The blisters have reduced over the last two weeks taking Nystatin. Since it seems to be helping, they are having me continue the Nystatin. I have a PET/CT in 4 weeks.

I still have some sore spot areas the surgeon says is from radiation. Sometimes that makes me nervous since this all started with a sore. I trust the surgeon and RO and they said I'm doing well.

My husband and I have three children - 16, 14 and 11. I want to be around for many years so I can rock my future grandchildren in my 'granny rocker'. We have a deep faith and we have had so much support from family, neighbors, friends and church. We have been so thankful for all of them and I am so thankful to have found this site and all of you.

Has anyone had lingering blisters after radiation? I do use Biotene products along with taking Nystatin.

Have a wonderful day!!