My name is Linwood, 49 year old male here in Powhatan Virginia. Went to a ENT today for a sore on the bottom side of my tongue after going to Patient First 2 weeks ago and being told it was a canker sore. It has gotten worse and larger. I had a bad feeling about it, considering I HAD been a pack a day smoker for the last 25 years, untill today when I threw them in the trash can.Dr. performed biopsy today on it taking two "plugs". At least he was straight up and told me his strong suspection that it is cancer. I want the info straight up with no sugar-coating.Now just waiting for results. If positive going to have C.T. scans with and without contrast. He said that is the next step after diag. So many things going threw my mind right now. Glad I found this site and know that I'm not alone in my possible battle, cause I dont give up easy! Have a good evening and look forward to sharing with yall.

Hi Linwood,

My name is Jack, upstate NY where it's beautiful, cold, but beautiful..;-). I went through the same thing with the ENT, biopsy and all, came back pos for squamous cell carcinoma. Started rad 10/1/09, finished 11/23/09. Won't tell you it was a cake walk, but it's survivable. Went through what I call my "black time" for a few months. Now eating almost anything I want (with a lot of water), played golf last week. Only problem I have now is no saliva. Sucks having dry mouth, but it sure beats cancer! Don't panic and roll with the punches and you'll do fine.
Take good care of yourself..time to put YOU first! Good Luck

Hello Linwood,

Im the same age and smoked right up till my treatment started nine months ago.

Hopefully the news will be negative for cancer. If not, you have a few of us that are just the other side of the treatments you will be recieving and a good number of folks who have seen it all.

One thing you will hear alot here is to get yourself to a CCC (Comprehensive Cancer Center) if at all possible. Someone will post a link to some in your area here for you as I can never figure out how to do that.

Keep us posted on your biopsy results. We'll be around if you have any questions

Sorry to hear, but at least you are being proactive with this. I went to oral surgeon with a ridge on the right lateral side of my tongue in december and they refused to biopsy cuz i was too young for cancer and i had to be biting my tongue in my sleep. Well they biopsied in march and sure enough it was squamous cell carcinoma. What they didn't know was the ridge was the huge tumor that was completely hidden in my tongue was pushing out the side of my tongue.
Like above, this isn't a cake walk, but I have had surgery and now will start radiation in about a month. Right now, I am at kinda the eye of the storm and a month out from surgery and i am doing ok. More of an emotional battle right now, but this site is a great resource. I just started a few days ago and I feel a little better already. Wishing you luck!

Linwood,

Love the country up there as I was born and grew up in Short Pump. You know what I'm talking about! Anyway IF it comes back positive get yourself down to the Massey Cancer Center at VCU.

No need to discuss anything else UNLESS it comes back positive except never smoke again regardless.

Thanks everyone for the friendly greetings! You think that I would have put the cigs down years ago when Mom and Dad were diag'ed with COPD and heart problems. Guess that wasnt good enough for me. This has really hit home with me, I'm a grown man and scared as Hell. Look foward to chatting with you good people. I feel like I have found the right place for support in the battle that may lie ahead of me............

Hi Linwood,

David is right. The only CCC in the Richmond area is Massey at VCU. Please contact them if your biopsy is positive. Several people here have experience with VCU. Send me a PM if you want more information.

VCU Department of Otolaryngology

Don't beat yourself up about smoking, but try to take this on as you new mantra:
"If I smoke, I will die!"

Welcome Linwood!

I hope your results come back negative, when will you be finding out?

We are here for you but I sure hope it's just because you meet a group of fine folks and not because you have the dreaded "C"!

Keep us updated!

Hello,

After reading your story I must say I admire you very much! You have had it sooo much worse than I did and I was feeling sorry for myself all the time, you have helped me so much by the way you are coping. Thank you and God bless! I'll pray for you.
Jack

I have to say that you arent the only one that had family go through tough times due to cigs and still didn't put them down. I technically quit a 7 year smoking period in august of 07. But my boyfriends father was diagnosed around christmas of 08 with small cell lung cancer caused by him smoking cigs for 40 years. He ended passing away september of 09, and me being stressed, and stupid, i smoked for a week october of 09. But I say it this way. It wasnt smart, but if i wouldn't have smoked that week, I Maybe wouldn't have found my cancer. Because when I smoked, it finally grew out the side of my tongue, but before that the tumor was growing in my tongue, and I had no idea, no pain, nothing.
Things happen for reasons, we may not know the reason, but there is a reason.
Did you ever find out what the pathology was from your biopsy?