Hi, I am glad that I have found this site. I am waiting to go into hospital to have two lesions cut out and biopsied from inside my mouth. One is on the inside of my cheek on the left and the other on my gum on the right. I also have a very tender swelling and hard lumpy area underneath my jaw on the left. The dentist found it when I saw him because I had ulceration and an infection in the lesion on my cheek. My wisdom tooth also has to come out as it is needs to be removed to get the lesion, although it isn't causing it. I am obviously hoping that it is not malignant but I want to be prepared if it is as I know I would be too shocked to take anything in. I am in enough shock already just because I need the biopsy. I am going into a private hospital for day surgery with a general anaesthetic. My big thought was 'not my face'. I do contract work too, and my appearance is important, even though in an ideal world it wouldn't matter, but it does.

Hope all turns out well for you and glad you found this site. Regardless of test outcome if you have any questions please ask...there will be somebody here who has an answer. sending you positive thoughts,,Peace Denise

Hold your breath until you hear from the pathologist. There are plenty of things besides cncer it could be.

Take care

We have all been in your position and understand the anxiety before a biopsy. You didn't say when you're going in? I hope everything comes out benign. Please post and let us know how you are doing.

Jennifer

Good luck with the biopsy. We will be praying for you that your lesions are not malignant. Let us know either way and we will celebrate with you or help you through your treatment.

Rememebr, it's not cancer till the doctor says it is.

Jerry

As Mark said, It could be many things besides cancer. It's been said many times on this forum,
"It ain't cancer til the pathologist report says it is"

Best wishes for a good report.

Danny Boy

Dear oceanangel, Good that it is all being biopsied and you will know exactly what is happening. It is a difficult time for you and the people here understand how you feel. Please let us know your results, thinking of you, love and light from Helen

Oceanangel, we will be saying a prayer for you too. Amy

Thank you all for your positive thoughts and sound advice. I am going to have day surgery at a local private hospital on 6th July 2005. I did not remember all of what the surgeon told me until about 48 hours later, probably shock and denial. He said that one lesion looked to him like a squamous (?) cell carcinoma while the white patch on the other side of my mouth was something different, but less of a concern. I am bothered the most be the swelling underneath my jaw which isn't really painful but it is tender and sometimes interferes with my speech and swallowing. The surgeon said that there is a mass there but he doesn't know what it is, but he has excluded blocked salivary glands. I have also developed tinitis at about the same time and I see an ear nose and throat specialist on 27th June. As you say, it is not cancer until the pathology report says so, so I am thinking positive.

best wishes ,oceanangel hope everything turns out well for u we have all been there waiting for boipsy results e.t.c.we will all root for u god bless u regards maz

I hope your biopsy shows nothing cancerous. If it is cancerous, you can do what is needed. I had half my lower jaw removed and I worried what I would look like. Two years later people don't notice and I have to tell them what happened. I have a little fullness on the left side of my jaw but I seem to be the only one that notices it! Take it one step at a time. Whatever the outcome, the only choice you have is to move forward and do what you have to do.
Minnie

Just another wish for the best possible diagnosis.

Also, you should know that sometimes the waiting is the hardest part, so be extra gentle to yourself while you are under all that stress.

Take a deep breath and know that we'll all be here for you whatever the results say.

thank you everyone. Reading through posts on this forum has reassured me that even if the biopsy does show 'the worst' things are likely not to be as bad as I had imagined. I saw the G.P. with the painful swelling under my jaw this week and he said that the lymph nodes were swollen but not rock hard as he would expect if they were associated with a carcinoma. He told me to go ahead and have the biopsy, but not to worry. There are a lot of nasty bugs around my part of Oz at the moment, so one of them may be responsible. I hope it doesn't take too long to get the results of the biopsy after Wednesday. I just want to know 'yes' or 'no' so that I can either get on with my life or get onto the problem.

I have the surgery yesterday. It feels like he has taken quite a lot from the inside of both cheeks and part of my gum. I am swollen and tender and taking panadene forte 6 hourly and rinsing with a dilute antibacterial-analgesic mouth wash, as well as being on a course of antibiotics. The wisdom tooth removal isn't really bothering me. I don't know which one he took to be truthful. It is my cheeks that hurt. I go back to see the surgeon on the 14th, next Thursday, to get the results. thank you for all of your kind thoughts.

I know how hard the "unknown" was on me. It was almost easier once I knew I had cancer and what I had to do. Best wishes for fast healing and no nasty cancer!

We will all be thinking of you and pulling for you!

Jennifer