ROFL - Thanks, Kevin! I needed that laugh this morning!

David : My Dr at UW said he did not suspect any node involvement but only did checkup with feeling with his hands at this point (unless he could see nodes on CT with contrast? but I think that was only the neck shown) but he has not seemed concerned about them. He said he felt this was caught early and is quite localized. I will ask him about doing a PET scan when I check in Friday for another CT scan before they start surgery. I agree, I don't want to take chances.

I had an endoscopy done in 07 with biopsies which was all normal but they did that because I was having a hard time swallowing and it got worse and worse to where i didnt feel i could even swallow water to take my meds... they did mri, endoscopy with biopsies and barium xrays and diagnosed me with severe acute acid reflux and put me on nexium double normal dose. this helped some but then my other doctor treated me for thrush and 99% of symptoms were gone within days. (long term prednisone use caused the thrush she said)

upon reading symptoms of what i am now facing i am wondering if the two are more related than said so far? don't know ... but yet those symptoms of problems swallowing have never gotten bad again ... occassionally rice or something will "feel" stuck if my throat is not moist enough or take more than a tiny bite but for the most part all of those symptoms have been unnoticed since so i am hoping the two are not related and that the localized problems found are all there is to find ... oh how i hate the unknowns and the what ifs - this is why we don't dwell on them I guess, right? POSITIVE ATTITUDE until we have something to worry about and then one baby step at a time.

Thanks for your post I will definitely speak with him about that PET.

oh and yes I did smoke - for 25 yrs. Don't anymore but it may well be a factor, though I was not the "heavy" smoker they say is the most common victim ... they said I was not a 'likely' candidate... but hey that is how life works