Hello everyone. I haven't posted much lately. Mostly because life has been crazy for me. I lost my job and have been working hard to find a new one. The hard work has paid off, I was offered a job this week. As much as I was enjoying my unplanned "vacation", it makes me worry a bit less knowing that soon, I'll have a paycheck coming in. I'll be working for the Minnesota Department of Health in the HIV/STD division.

I am working on raising some money for OCF, because it is such an awesome place. And I am doing my best to get the word out about oral cancer.

My local newspaper is featuring oral cancer in this weeks edition. They tell my story, but I think she did a great job of telling about oral cancer.

You can view the article at http://www.thisweek-online.com/depth.html

As for my health, everything is so far, so good. I have had a swollen lymph node for weeks, but the doc wasn't concerned. I finally left it alone and amazingly, it has now disappeared.

God bless you all,

Amy

The article's appearance differs in the online version. The actual newspaper article has more pictures, including my post surgery x-ray. If anyone is interested in seeing this, I can email it to you as a pdf file that shows it as is. It looks much nicer than the online version. Let me know if you want me to send it to you.

Great Job Amy!

Congradulations on the good news from the doctor. Ditto and good luck with the new job.

More and more people are getting the word out. We really need to find a way to have the doctors and hygeinists get the old "profiles" out of their mind and that anything that lasts for more than 2 weeks in the mouth should set off all the bells and whistles.

It looks like the writer did a pretty thorough job. Amy, I do not know what it is, but when you get this disease it makes you an instant advocate.

I still find it upsetting how many miss diagnosis there are.

Thank You again. Petey

Amy,

Great job and good article althought I don't agree with all that was said.

Keep up the good work.

David,

I am just curious about what you didn't agree with. The writer did the research and I didn't verify it all to be correct, not that it would have mattered, because she wouldn't let me see it until it was already in print. But I was just wondering.

Thanks, Amy

Amy


Way to go !!!! I would love to see more photos and all so if you could please send me the link I would love it !!


SHAr

I'm glad that the article got out, it got the basics right, and told an important personal story. But I was really disappointed with the writer who spent an hour and a half on the phone with me, and still didn't get what I said correct. Then at the 11th hour, 30 minutes before it had to go to print, sent me 4 sentences to proof, not the whole article as she promised the day before. I would have reworded some of the points for her. As to Amy's part, she got the story out and more people will hear about oral cancer and early detection. Every story matters, even if it has a few technical issues or misquotes in it.

Unforturnately this is the way with the media. Some are better than others, for instance Amy Marcus who interviewed me for the Wall St. Journal, not only let me read it all before print to get my quotes right, but had an independent fact checker verify through me and others that the facts in the story were indeed correct.

I am still happy to have gotten this subjet in print in my area, even with some errors. I am truly sorry that happened because she seemed to have spent so much time checking her facts. But realistically, I didn't get any input. I told my story and that was that. And you can bet that if I'd have had any input at all, I would have done away with the horrible photos = )

I guess that my "myspace page" has maybe done just as well to get the word out. I posted several blogs about my experience between December 2006 and March 2007. During that time, I received several messages from people asking for more details about OCF. I passed that info on, and maybe, just maybe, some of those people are members today. You can see my page at myspace.com/ickymommy. (my kids picked the 'ickymommy' name.) And lest you think I am a complete teenager--the only reason I have a myspace page in the first place is because my babysitter put me up to it. That, and all us kids are doin' it!!

Great article

I got one of the same statements with my tongue SCC. "If it hurts, you're ok, cause if it was cancer it wouldn't hurt."

Famous last words.....

Kevin

Hi Amy,

Petey, my watch dog, let me know early yesterday that you got your article published. This was the first chance I got during a very busy weekend to check it out. You really did a great job.

Even though some of the facts may be incorrect, the important thing is that the message that early detection saves lives was there. Also making more people aware of the HPV connection, is doing a great public service.

I have an article coming out in the American Dental Association News this coming week and I was fortunate enough to see a draft of the article. It is about the NYC Walk and I wanted to plug the fact that the money rasied was going to OCF. It wasn't in the draft so I told the writer. She never got back to me and I am hoping the she got that fact in as well as a link to the OCF. We really are at the mercy of the writers and publishers.

I hope things are moving along for the walk in Chicago. I'm sure you will be succesful in raising money whether the walk takes place or not. Don't forget to send in the check I sent you for the walk, earlier in the year.

BTW, I don't know what "tater tot hotdish" is, but I would sure take a steak over it any day.

Jerry

Hi Amy, great job on getting your story out and getting donations for OCF....I hope you are doing well....God Bless, Carol

I have a letter in the works that I plan to send out to everyone I have ever met, give or take. I also have all the the checks that I received from other members of the OCF. I really believe that I can raise a nice amout of money for the OCF. I intend on getting this letter out by the end of this week so it goes hand in hand with the article. And by mid-July, I hope to be able to send Brian some money.

And Jerry, if you don't know what tater tot hotdish is, you are missing out. Personally, I would take a steak over most any meal, every night of the week. Unfortunately, we are living on more of a hamburger budget over here. But tater tot hotdish is yummy. If you want the recipe, just say the word.

God Bless,

Amy

Well I dont know what the tater tot hot dish is ..but if ya wanna share that would vbe great !! I am always looking for new things with 5 kids ,ahhaahha

Hi.

I just thought that I would share a neat thing to come out of this article. I got an email from a woman that live about 10 minutes from me. She is my age and has 4 small children. She was diagnosed tongue cancer last August, and received treatment at Mayo, just as I did. They believe that her cancer went undiagnosed for six years and by the time it was finally discovered was stage 4 and had spread to her lymph nodes. She has given me her phone number and I plan to call her very soon. She also knows another woman, in nearly the same situation that is located about 20 minutes from us.

The part that kind of gives me chills is that she hadn't received this paper for the last 9-10 months. She had just been telling her neighbor that she missed receiving it. And then the first paper she finally received was the one with this story. She believes that she was meant to see this, and so do I.

God Bless,

Amy