Talk about highs and lows. I still haven't had a proper diagnosis from my doctors at the hospital yet, whom I last saw on 8 November. I'm going back 6 December and - altho' I'm alright most of the time, I am in an agony of uncertainty more often than I'd like. After the second surgery I was told very clumsily that I had more cancer in the excised tissue from 2nd operation on the side of the tongue and that my whole mouth was vulnerable because of a field change. I saw a young doc and he made a hash of telling me - rang the surgeon and asked to be referred to an oncologist - he seemed upset but said yes yes he would do that but of course it hasn't happened. Then my GP rang and said he had a letter - it's not so bad - just a multi-focal lesion with wide-spread dysplasia! I knew that wasn't the whole story but I was high for a couple of days. AS I sort of expected, the GP rang last night to say he had the histology. Proper cancers and cancer in situ went right through the tissue - the invasive cancer wasn't near the edge but the carcinoma in situ was. I think that's what he said.
I've waited so long to get a diagnosis and don't know how I'm going to wait another 8 days! This makes New Zealand's health service look bad. I don't think it is bad technically but we are way behind you in creating a partnership between medical experts and their patients. My feminist hackles rise. Would they treat an educated male patient in such a paternalistic way.
Cecelia

Mame,
Thay treat me the same way and the fact of the matter is that thay dont give a damn. We are $ signs to the medical business. I will shut up before i get kicked out of here.
paul
in va soon to be in nc