Hi, I'm Veronica. My mother is currently going through radiation treatment for her cancer. She had a radical neck dissection on Jan. 18, 2002. She has been to hell & back. I admire her strength through this ordeal. I have searched all over the internet for a place to go to talk to people who have been through this & until now I have been unsuccessful. I just want to say I greatly appreciate this site & the people who have taken time to reply with such kind & caring words. I hope that I will be able to show the same comfort to someone that I have been shown in the past day. This is all still so new to me & my family. We are trying to get through this one day at a time.

Hi, I am Patty. I have been lurking for 2 years as I initially had trouble joining for some reason. I had a 90% glossectomy 3 years ago and have been cancer free since. Thank God for this site as I have had to learn how to live with the new me. I have great trouble swalllowing and am currently trying to learn what I can eat with no bottom teeth without killing myself. I feel like I already know you guys. Now I have to figure out how to add my condition information.

Hi Patty - Glad you're here and doing so well. If you want to add stuff to your signature below your message, just go to top of this page where it says "My Stuff", click on "Profile" and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page where it says "Signature" and you can fill in whatever you like re your condition. For help with abbreviations for certain procedures, here is a thred of abbreviations:
http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=38706#Post38706
And here's another list in alphabetical order that I put together when my son was undergoing treatment:
http://web.utk.edu/~aalix/abbreviations.html

Thanks Anne Marie-I will go there now and add my condition info

Veronica, welcome to OCF. Glad you have found this site, it can be a wonderful place for caregivers to share their experiences. You will learn alot from OCF. There is a search function both here and also on the main pages. Even those of us who have had an easy time still have many struggles to overcome with battling oral cancer. Nobody ever gets away with having an easy time of it. Wishing you and your mother all the best.

Patty, welcome to OCF as well. When beginning to post, its good to start your very own thread so we can better get to know you. A signature line is also very helpful. There is a swallowing study going on that you may want to take advantage of. There is also a list of easy to eat foods. I will post the links at the bottom .Best wishes with everything.

http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=94621#Post94621

http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=123344#Post123344