Hello all. My name is Warren, and as of today, I am a cancer patient I'm 35, don't smoke/use tobacco, and don't drink.

Last week, I had my right lingual tonsil removed due to a cyst that has been bothering me. I've actually been having on and off pain in that area for about 4-5 years. 2 months ago, I went into my ENT saying the discomfort was pretty persistent on almost all swallows, not just on/off. I was scoped, and they found a cyst. I was thrilled that they finally found the cause. They said that it didn't look cancerous, but as standard operating procedure, they performed a biopsy, and sent it off to the lab.

Today I went in for my followup, and he gave me the bad news. His initial diagnosis is that I have SCC, base of tongue, T1N0M0, stage 1. HPV test not back yet. How quickly life changes. Just a few hours ago, I had no idea what any of these terms meant. He's sent the paperwork off to 2 different oncologists. I'll schedule my first appointments with them after the long weekend.

I'm frightened after reading some stories, and so is my wife. We have a child that is just 8 weeks old. I found out about the cyst the same week that he was born. I'm happy to have found this forum though. I'm sure I'll be leaning on it for support.

Warren

Welcome Warren, this a very caring and knowledgeable group that you can pass questions to, vent to when you feel like it, or gain inspiration from when you need it. There are many survivors and patients with very similar diagnosis to yours, and they will be a great resource for anticipating what is ahead on your path as you move from patent to survivor.

So, the next big step will be deciding who your treatment team will be, and what those treatments will be. Others here will guide you through building your signature block, but you have already stated that this is a very early find, which is great thing for you. I assume that determination of the N0M0 part of your staging was determined from a scan which showed that your cervical nodes in your neck were clear and there is nothing else going on in your body. Locally confined disease is much easier to deal with.

As to the HPV status of things, while it will not at this time change your treatments, it will likely be HPV16 positive, as you have the classic presentation for it. The good news is that HPV status give you a distinct survival advantage over non HPV oral cancers. VA has some great comprehensive cancer centers with super national reputations, and that is also in your favor.

Please take a moment and go to the main OCF website and to the staging page, so that you understand it well. Also remember that we have all kinds of patients here, and no two are exactly alike in how they respond to treatments, or how they emotionally deal with things. While some very dire things are discussed on the boards I caution you not to read others situations into your own. You are a unique biological entity.

Knowledge is power, and chance favors the prepared mind. Start reading on the OCF main site so you can make good informed decisions, supported by information from those here that have actually walked the path before you. No one gets through this alone, and in addition to your team in VA, and your family, not too far into the future you will begin to feel that this is your cyber family and part of your team as well.

Let's hope your journey is quickly made, with the fewest number of complications, and you have a rapid return to a normal healthy life.

Welcome to OCF, Warren! I am so sorry you have gotten this unexpected news that you are now a cancer patient. You are very lucky that it has been caught in the early stages. Its easier to treat.

Finding the correct treatment facility is a very important decision. Here is a list of cancer centers. A cancer center will have a whole treatment team working together on your case. They will also see more cases similar to yours.

Cancer can be like a thief, it can steal your time away from what you love the most. Try your best not to worry, it wont change the outcome. I know its not an easy task but try your best to enjoy your holiday weekend with your family. Congrats on your son!

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/resources/cancer_centers.htm

Hey there welcome try not to worry too much - youll get your questions answered hopefully when you see the dr. Until then enjoy your time with your baby and wife. It's. Long haul but you can ge brought it. Take care!

Hi Warren,

As a caregiver I have found the Oral Cancer Foundation Forum to be a godsend and a great source of comfort. Please let your wife know that she also has a place to turn when she has questions or needs the support of a compassionate shoulder or ear.

Unless a person's life has already been touched by oral cancer, it is nearly impossible for him or her to understand what an oral cancer patient or caregiver is experiencing. When I discovered that no one else could understand what my husband and I were going through, it was frustrating and lonely. But, people on the OCF Forum understood exactly what we were going through. It made all the difference in the world for me to be able to talk with people who knew the challenges and generously offered advice, support, and friendship. The Oral Cancer Foundation truly is a family.

Please take comfort in knowing you have found a valuable resource and haven to help you and your wife navigate from diagnosis to treatment to recovery. And, the OCF will continue to be a source of information and support as you live your life as an oral cancer survivor and your wife as a co-survivor.

You, your wife, and your baby are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sandy

Hi Warren

You have a massive advantage in your age. Unlike us "old farts", your ability to bounce back is just so much better. That is not to say that your journey won't be a difficult one but with support and knowledge, you can do this. Hopefully in a few months time, you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Fear of the unknown was the thing that scared Alex and I the most, and once we got going with treatment, the fear became manageable. Now the fear is around it coming back and we are coming to terms with this being a background stressor for the rest of our lives. We are assured by others before us, that this too will lessen with time.

There are people who get through treatment and get on with their lives and unfortunately, they are the ones who post here whilst they are in treatment and then disappear from the boards to live their lives. Of course, I am thrilled for them but I say "unfortunately", because it does tend to skew the posts here towards the fears and difficulties of treatment. Amongst the fear and doom, there are some truly inspirational people who open their hearts, refuse to lie down and who dedicate their time to helping others. Even the "newbies" are extraordinary in their outlook. Find them (or wait for them to find you) and listen to them.

The information you get here will help you to understand your options SHOULD it happen rather than WHEN is happens and you should be reassured that your young age, early diagnosis and support system are all in your favour.

Keep us posted with your progress

Warren - I'm so glad you found this site. It's the best place to be for the very latest information and support from those who have been where you are. My son was close to the same age as you when he was diagnosed with SCC. And now, almost five years later, he is doing just great! As mentioned above, you have the advantage of being diagnosed at a very early stage, your youth, and the support of your wife and of course one of the biggest reasons to take on this challenge to survival: your brand new wonderful son!! My son's daughter was 5 years old at the time his SCC was discovered and I found it amazing the effect that she had on his successful recovery. She kept him focused on the good things in life and all the simple joys a child can bring to a parent. You can do this! Just search this site for all the information you need and write down all the questions you have for the doctor and/or for us here. It does help to have others go with you to appointments, not only for support but for help in remembering what was said so that you can check with each other later. If you want to provide a signature line (see mine below), it helps others to know your background so they can more easily relate to your situation and answer your questions. So whenever you have time, just go to the top of this page where it says "My Stuff", click on "profile" and scroll all the way down to the bottom where you will see a signature box and fill in whatever you like. Stay with us, Warren, and you and your wife enjoy each minute with that wonderful new little angel in your lives!

Thank you everyone for your support! Last night was a long night. There is a lot whirling around in our minds. I've directed my wife to this thread as well.

After reading more, I'm starting to think the diagnosis of T1N0M0 might be premature, since I haven't had any sort of scan yet. That was based upon the ENT's observations of the cyst, and I guess feel of surrounding lymph nodes. My PCP also did a pre-op physical and did not discover any abnormal lymph nodes by hand. My ENT did also discuss with me the fact that there are some studies about TORS, to remove more of the tongue by laser, but they are still early. At the time, I told him I wanted to go the route that has the most proven success, so he directed me to 2 particular oncologists at the Cancer Center of Lake Manassas (in Virginia).

I was in shock as he was telling me. I think the shock is over, and the reality has set in on us. The first clue I had was that when he was telling me about the removal of the cyst, he said it was breaking apart funny instead of sort of vaporizing as a coblation would normally accomplish. He already had suspicions as he was removing the cyst.

Looks like I won't have an accurate diagnosis until after seeing an oncologist. I'm eager to take the first few steps to get a more accurate diagnosis. I may want to go to a larger cancer center for a second opinion. Sounds like we only get 1 shot at this if we go radiation route, so I want to make sure it counts.

Here I was just a few days ago saying that I was undergoing the most pain I had ever felt. I guess I'm in for another challenge. Bring it on.

edit: I will likely create a new thread in the appropriate forum after I get the first scan.

Great attitude! You can get through this.

Hi Warren,

You are in the right place for help and support.

You will probably want to go for a second opinion; it really helps your peace of mind in that you made the best decision regarding treatment.

I am in VA also and got a second opinion from an ENT at Johns Hopkins. He is exceptional and very knowledgeable.

We don't post identifying information about doctors, but if you want me to send you more information, send me a PM.

My Best to You!

Warren, welcome. It sounds as though you have a great attitude and are going about this unexpected turn of events smartly and efficiently. Strange words to use for that reeling over the abyss feeling you're having right now, I'm sure!

As Brian wrote, HPV+ cancers have a better outcome and yours certainly seems to be so.

You've gotten some marvelous advice from the previous posters. We're all here for you, all the time.

Please keep us posted every step of the way and ask any and all questions that come up, no matter how trivial they may seem to you.

You're showing a lot of courage and determination already. I'm confident that as tough as things will become, you'll get through it!

Hi Warren,

I completely understand the fear and uncertainty you and your wife are feeling. Our daughter was 6 months old when Ken was diagnosed. We were fortunate to have lots of family and friends around to help. I hope you are able to rely on others a little as well. Please let your wife know that she can contact me if she has any questions or just needs to vent. Being a caregiver can sometimes be more difficult than being the patient. I used this site a lot to vent and to listen to other's stories to realize I could get through it. Your baby will help you get through each day as well. I swear our daughter gets us through the dark times with her smile.

Our thoughts are with you.

Jill

As others have done, I would recommend a second opinion from a top-ranked cancer center -- I gather you're in northern Virginia (based on the referral to Lake Manassas), so you're not far from either Johns Hopkins (where my husband was seen, as was RPCV -- and in the most recent US News rankings it's rated #1 for ENT and #4 for cancer) or Georgetown, where Charm2017 was treated. If you are closer to central Virginia, there's the UVa Cancer Center in Charlottesville or Massey Cancer Center at VCU in Richmond.

All of these are National Cancer Institute-designated centers (meaning they are at the cutting edge of cancer research). Hopkins is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 21 leading centers across the U.S. that together develop the annual treatment protocols that represent the state of the art in fighting this disease.

Whether you choose to be treated locally (at Lake Manassas or similar) or at a center like those listed above, it's important to at least get a second opinion from a facility that sees a LOT of this kind of cancer. Assuming the second institution agrees in the diagnosis, that second opinion may concur with what you are hearing from the local docs, or you may receive a different treatment plan. (Davidcpa, for instance, got five opinions -- and five different plans -- before choosing the one from a top-ranked cancer center.) Because this cancer can impact so many functions (speaking, eating, breathing, and so on), you want to make sure to get advice from people who have treated this many, many times.

I'm reminded of a post from early last year by a then-new caregiver whose husband had been diagnosed with cancer by an ENT in New York City. She received much encouragement to get her husband a second opinion from Memorial Sloan-Kettering and wrote this after making an appointment there:

[quote=SusanW]The ENT guy said his practice (three guys) sees about one case of oral cancer a year. Sloan sees 3500. A bit of a difference. The strong message you guys sent me about where people should go is so important. I hope the word is out there.[/quote]

Warren,

Welcome to OCF my friend, glad you found us, sorry you had to. Like you I was in my early 30s when I was diagnosed and had a young family, I remember the nights worrying not about myself but what my ordeal would do to my wife and boys.

What I would say is just take it as it comes and don't let the word cancer overwhelm you...its not an automatic death sentence, if caught early your odds are good. Unlike you I did not find these forums until well after tx so had to walk this road.blindly...the advice and support here will make the road easier.

Good luck, keep your chin up

Eric

Welcome to the forum, Warren. I am so glad that you found this place. It is a wonderful source of knowledge and support.

Congratulations on your new baby! My daughter was 3 months old when I was diagnosed and while it has been a difficult road at times, she is a constant source of strength for me. She makes me laugh when no one else can and gives me a reason to get up and moving each day whether I feel like it or not. It's really hard to find time to feel sorry for yourself when you have a little one demanding your constant attention.

I really want to reiterate what others have said about getting a second opinion at a comprehensive cancer center. I originally saw a private practice ENT who was confident that he could treat my cancer. He did my first surgery and then at the urging of members here, I transferred to a CCC. At the cancer center they redid my pathology and found that the original report was incorrect (they said I had perineural invasion, but I did not) and that the margins from my first surgery were not sufficient. I had a second surgery and will now be having radiation due to two positive lymph nodes. I am so grateful that people here urged me to get that second opinion because otherwise I would not have been getting the proper treatment.

Best of luck to you and your little family!

Emotionally tough weekend. There's no good way to learn that you have cancer, but finding out about it at 4:30 on a friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend leaves you with a lot of time to wonder. I'll be glad to get the first scan done to find out for sure if this has spread.

I think I'm going to take the advice of folks on here, and go to the Lombardi/Georgetown CCC. We have family just a few miles from there, so my wife could probably bring our little Maltese, and our baby boy, to camp out with family while I get treated.

It's been a long time since I felt heartache like this. My emotions keep swinging between positive and gloomy. On the plus side, this is making me appreciate my wife, Mary, even more by the minute. I look at our little boy Austin a little differently too. When things get tough, I'll remember them as the reason to fight hard.

Thank you all for your support. It helps.

Sounds like you are moving in the right direction, Warren, and taking positive steps towards a successful recovery. The waiting to find out stuff is one of the most difficult part of treatment but try not to let the "gloomies" intrude too much on the positive side of things. When they do, just give them a very short time limit and then get back to all the reasons why you will be successful. Think of all the pluses - and you have many! The best part is that you have a wonderful family to support you and get thru this. Your little boy, Austin is at the age where he will be delighting you daily with his progress and discoveries of the world around him. I'm sure your little Maltese will be doing his part, too in bringing you some smiles to enjoy. Stay close and let us know how you are doing.

Warren,

The Nietzche quote in my signature...my "why" is my family and in the darkest of times my wife was there holding my hand and singing to me. My boys loved on me. Now my 11 year old tells me I'm his hero because I beat cancer and never quit. It's a powerful thing, keep a hold of that brother and it will see you through.

Eric

Warren try not to worry. You have support and strength on your side! I know how you feel about having to wait - I was diagnosed 5 days before Christmas!!! When most people-are away!! Hospitals slow to a crawl etc. Even my ent guy went away until jan 4th - and wanted me to wait!!!! For my biopsy results until he came back ( my biopsy was dec10. Obviously I wasn't willing to wait a month so I had my Gp give me h results on hwhen the came in- on the 20th - he was so upset he arranged a head and neck & chest ct for the next day - and I got the results that afternoon!!! And by the next day. I Had an appointment with an MRI and a top notch specialist at our local ccc. I had my MRI the 6th of January - (two days after I would have been getting the news from my ent guy! ) and surgery within the month.

I know it's a shock but you can get through this. take care and good luck with your scans

Hello. I just read your posting and I'm also a cancer patient. Base of the tongue (no tonsils) and one lymph gland. I've been writing a blog about my experience as I went through my treatment. It's been no picnic and I'm still in the middle of recovery. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks folks. I'm recovering from the tonsillectomy, and the cyst/tumor removal. I went mostly tylenol free today. I guess the pain I went through was just a preview of things to come.

Ben, thank you the link to your blog. I somehow managed to laugh, and almost spit up on my monitor a few times. You sound like me, a bit.

After mowing the lawn, and drinking my first cup of iced coffee in the last 2 weeks, I feel great. I'm on-call for work, and I'm stuck in front of the computer working on some stuff remotely, and that's taking my mind off of things too.

Going to investigate TORS. I'm afraid that if I use the RT card the first time, I won't have it available if I have a recurrence

Hey Warren!

I am 38 was 33 when diagnosed. I know it is strange to be worrying about cancer when you are right in the prime of life with a new baby etc. So unfair Hoping you whiz through treatment and this becomes a minor pothole in the road of life.

This is a great community of people who support one another.
Kate B.

I told the rest of my friends and family today via facebook. The support feels nice. It's still a little tough for me to tell someone in person.

Have an appointment with an RO tomorrow @ Georgetown/Lombardi CCC. Looking forward to a plan. Did my ENT make a mistake by superficially removing the tumor? It seems like this is not standard protocol, as this could present problems during RT. Hoping to get a scan soon to see if there is any more cancer in other spots.

Warren - It really sounds like you are taking care of things and moving towards a plan. It is hard to tell people because often, even though they are very well meaning and do care about you, they don't know what to say, how to react or how to help. If you happen to think of ways you would like help, by all means, make a list so if they say "how can I help?" then tell them! My son hesitated to do this at first but he found that after he did, his friends were grateful for the opportunity to do something for him! About your question re removing the tumor, or if it could present problems during RT, I'm sure others here will weigh in on this. My son's Maxillofacial surgeon was known as an "aggressive" surgeon and the thinking was that RT would provide less chance of a recurrence in his case. Everyone is different with different circumstances, so be sure and ask your doctors whatever questions you have and mention any concerns you may have. Hope things go very well today with the RO appointment.

Hi there. - as far as I know it depends on the surgeon, and tumor size, and location. But my tumor and 40 nodes were removed, then they offered me radiation and chemo even though they felt I was cured - and were certain They'd got it all. (their certainty has something to do with the type of surgery they do.). So I think the surgery prior to rads is okay - though they do want to give you time to heal. If it wasn't extensive surgery it should be okay in a few weeks, some make you wait 4 or 5. I had my radiation 5 weeks post op. But I had a 14 hour surgery with reconstruction. Try not to worry and good luck at your appointment. Look at it this way at this point there is less cancer or possibly no cancer left - less clean up work for the radiation to do (hopefull killing any microscopic cancer that might be left.. Treating this aggressively is good. Take care. And good luck.

I have some positive news to report. Based on what the RO saw, the pathology report, and notes from my ENT, he thinks this is the earliest stage of BOT cancer that he has ever seen in 34 years. I am LUCKY!

Still need to get scans done, and possibly a few nodes removed to check, but things are looking positive so far. The RO is suggesting TORS, and would like to never have to see me again. No radiation recommend at the moment. My appointment with the H&N surgeon is next Tuesday, so I guess I'll find out more then and after they present to the tumor board.

Great news, Warren! Keep us updated. Hope everything continues to go well.

This is really good news. The core question to ask, since the base of the tongue contains all the nerves that control it and its major blood supply, is exact what does he expect related to any lack of range of motion or utility of your tongue might be impacted by his surgical approach. This is be minimum informed constant you should enter into this treatment with.

[quote=Brian Hill]This is really good news. The core question to ask, since the base of the tongue contains all the nerves that control it and its major blood supply, is exact what does he expect related to any lack of range of motion or utility of your tongue might be impacted by his surgical approach. This is be minimum informed constant you should enter into this treatment with. [/quote]

Absolutely. I'll be asking many of those questions, though watching this video was informative, and there are quite a few other TORS videos on YT as well.

TORS tumor removal at BOT (not for squeamish!)

Congratulations, Warren! Let us know how it goes. What a relief for you and your wife! It sure can be a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I'm glad that it looks like your ride is going to be a quick one!

Sandy

I 'm so happy for you!!! Good luck with everything - remember to move quickly!!! Though... Take care!

Okay, I got a call today from my surgeon @ Hopkins. Those old knuckleheads at Prince William Hospital misdiagnosed the slides. I have mucoepidermoid cancer (MEC) at the base of my tongue. My surgeon is giving me a very positive outlook, even better than before. Since it is located on soft tissue, resecting it should not be a problem, as opposed to other locations that could have far worse long term side effects.

I'm going to have TORS on August 17th to resect the remaining tumor, and a bilateral ND on Sept 2nd to check for spread.

Why aren't they doing both surgeries at he same time? Good luck, and great the diagnosis was sorted out!!

They're staging them because the room with the Da Vinci robot is very hard to schedule. It's very popular, and the only other option would have been to wait even longer to get a 6 hr window instead of a 2 hr window. I want this out ASAP, so I'm okay with staging them.

Normally, if this was tonsillar, they would stage it anyways, because doing them together results in higher risks of fistula, but given that my lesion is at BOT, he said I wouldn't be at risk of one.

Welcome to the MEC club. You will find there are few of us here. I was also found stage 1 so I was lucky as well. Of course my Mini Schnauzer kept sniffing my lower lip where the cancer was which probably saved me. I finished Radiation 16 months ago and every day seems like light years from the entire event.

Seda that's awesome!!! And Warren... I get it- that was the first thing I asked when i found out the primary treatment for this cancer was surgery - how soon can we get it out!!!? I wanted it gone - even told the dr - if you have any cancellations I'm there!!! (he said no one cancels my surgery - yes he's a bit full of himself - but he's earned it - and I told him I know but if someone catches. Cold etc... He just smiled and booked me within 3 weeks!) Good luck!

So did your HPV tests results ever come back? I am surprised they are doing surgery rather that rad and chemo....I have never heard of TORS...so hopefully it doesn't give the complications of normal surgery to remove.

Glad they give you the good news. I think you already had your surgery...but hope you talked to doc about surgical removal of that area of your tongue and the lifelong complications it would cause vs the complications of rad/chemo.

Hope it went well for you!

[quote=WarrenW]Hello all. My name is Warren, and as of today, I am a cancer patient I'm 35, don't smoke/use tobacco, and don't drink.[/quote]

Hi Warren, first, you found this site very early on. Thats first good news. I am 34, 6 month kid when diagonized on June 4th/2011. Me, too, don't smoke/use tobabbo/drink. Pretty much the same as you. I am nearing my treatment. Surgery done, last chemo done, 3 more radiations to go.

[quote=WarrenW]
Today I went in for my followup, and he gave me the bad news. His initial diagnosis is that I have SCC, base of tongue, T1N0M0, stage 1. HPV test not back yet. How quickly life changes.[/quote]
Mine was a visible ulcer on right side of tongue reaching the base. 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm. After surgery, the lymph nodes no signs of cancer. So they kind of classified it as T1N0M0.

[quote=WarrenW]
I'm frightened after reading some stories, and so is my wife. We have a child that is just 8 weeks old. I found out about the cyst the same week that he was born. I'm happy to have found this forum though. I'm sure I'll be leaning on it for support.[/quote]
The frightening part is essentially not for SELF, but mainly for the family, atleast in my case. Think of it as you are one more living creature on this earth who is subject to malfunctioning, but unfortunately humans are born super smart to bear all kinds of emotions. If you can control your emotions, that is the best way of looking forward.

Yes, to be frank and honest, the trauma of treatment keeps becoming pretty severe as the treatment progresses. You will gradually learn to cope with it. I am still not in a position to give any feedback on how it will be post all treatments, say 6 months down the line.

But please do remember, life is a pleasant journey with roadblocks at places.

Thanks
Venkat, India

Alright, here's an update. I know, I should really start a new thread...

I had the TORS operation on 8/17 at the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus, and it went well. They took more than they needed to. It was a butterfly shape that he ended up taking from the base of my tongue. It wasn't that deep though, since he didn't have to use clips, only cauterization. In the end, it turns out that only the right side had any sign of cancer. The pathology report showed the remaining tumor to be only .5cm. Clear margins were obtained, and there was no perineural invasion in the resected pieces.

I had the NG tube for less than 24 hours. I was fully talking, and able to sip water, so they took the tube out. Thank goodness, because it was pretty uncomfortable. I left the hospital after just a single night. Unfortunately, I discovered on the way home that the antibiotic they prescribed, clindomycin, gave me 30 minute hiccup sessions. He told me to stop, and didn't have me take any other AB. Well, unfortunately by the 3rd day post-op, I had pneumonia. I checked into Prince William hospital back near our home in Manassas. I had to spend 2 nights there recovering from pneumonia while they IV pumped me full of azithromycin and Zosyn.

They released me and had me on augmentin and azithromycin (gen for Zithromax/Zmax), which ruined my stomach and intestines. I lost 14 lbs in less than 2 weeks. The augmentin and oxycodone really took a toll on me, not to mention around day 7 things got real painful. The scab started to break off, and it basically feels like a tonsillectomy.

To make matters worse, I figured out the oxycodone lengthens my minimal focal distance, which messes with my eyeglass Rx, and ability to see up close without glasses.

Things started to get a lot better a few days ago though. I'm eating solid foods now, and I'm pretty ravenous. I think that's because my sense of taste isn't quite back yet. I get a few bites of near full flavor, and then it's gone. It's like my taste buds get fatigued! I'm not worried though. After the lingual tonsillectomy in June, this happened as well, and I regained full taste.

Never had any problems swallowing (other than the pain). No speech issues. Today, I didn't even take any pain killers. I'm at the point of just taking 500mg of Tylenol as needed.

I'm in for a bilateral ND on friday. Selective on both sides. Same surgeon, but this time, we'll be at the main Hopkins campus.

Warren, selective neck dissection will not be too much of a problem. Once operated, you may have stiffness of neck and shoulder muscles but bit of exercise and physiotherapy session will help you get back in shape.

Since it was a small tumor and has been caught early, I am sure that the nodes will be negative and hopefully you will be T1N0M0 like Venkat.

All the best for your surgery and take good care.

Awesome - sounds like after a semi bumpy start you're doing great - the nd will give you numbness and stiffness - maybe depending on how much the remove and cut but eshwars right! Physio and exercise will help! glad you are improving good luck with surgery!

ND came back clean. I am officially done with treatment. We all know what the possibilities are, but I hope to never have to endure this again.

Great news! It feels amazing when things go well and visits to doctors become infrequent. Congratulations on graduating from patient to survivor!

I'm with Sandy177, and most here will become a type of 'family' to you Warren....I am carer to my hubby who got told if no plan A, there is no plan B...that was 2 years ago and he currently has NED - no evidence of dis-ease......you will get help from all sources hon.....love to you and your family....it is scary, but tell the dis-ease to buggar off!! [sorry, I'm an Aussie!!]

Wonderful news, Warren! I am really glad it was managed without chemo/rads.