Ahh, the date of your surgery IS interesting and important. I start RT the day after and will think of you:) I know what it's like to be a worry wart ...

I keep thinking about the concept of "positive thinking" and how it can be a glib and facile term. But the simple notion of taking things step by step, one day at a time and enjoying the moment is valuable and kind of doable. It seems strange to get advice for living from "Breaking Bad" (haven't seen it all yet) but I keep thinking of Saul the lawyer and his "PMA": "positive mental attitude".

Not long till you graduate! Do you have to sit exams? What was your previous major?

And I do wish you luck. Take all the painkillers they offer. They won't want you to be in pain and there's no need to be.

About worrying - such good advice above when faced with all the unknowns and life changing decisions, but it might be well to consider how it boils down to just two things:
1) You can worry about all the things that could go wrong (which might never happen) OR
2) You could think about all the things that could go RIGHT! (which could very well happen )

After giving #1 sufficient time in your brain . . . one or two minutes, maybe - switch to #2. It takes practice, but you can do it.

Good luck on your surgery. The neck dissection sounds daunting but it really isn't that bad. You are numb and stiff post op, and you may have shoulder issues for a bit. I jumped right into physio after and my shoulder is nearly perfect now, but this takes patience and time, and determination to do your exercises.

Ultimately it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. ;o) You will get through it ok.

hugs. and good luck - read up on the surgery and what to expect.

Alpaca, I was an English major before I realized that business was more my style and allowed for a fairly diverse field of career choices! Although, I don't know if it helped me much because I still have absolutely no clue what I want to do . Thank you so much for the words of advice. Positive thinking is definitely something that I am working on and it's nice to hear that it is manageable. I have not seen "Breaking Bad" yet, but have been told it's good. Maybe something to do in the hospital? I hear it's on Netflix. I wish you the best of luck in your RT and will keep you in my thoughts as well.

Anne-Marie and Cheryl, thank you both again for giving me some encouragement. I am so grateful that I found all of you and this website. It has been tremendously helpful already. Hope you are all well.

Katherine, I did languages and English when I was at university in the 1960s. It was lovely at the time but in the end all I could do with my degree was to go teaching. Teaching is a noble profession but I wouldn't do it again: far too stressful for someone with my temperament. You have given yourself many more possibilities:)

Best wishes
Maureen

Hi Katherine - one more thing NOT to worry about: Taking a little longer to find the right fit for your major. It's more important to like what you are doing even if it takes longer to decide what that is. When I was a SOTA (student older than average) I was in College Scholars studying Languages (French, Spanish) and Psychology. One of my professors disagreed with my choice and expressed his disapproval with "What can you do with that major?" And the first job I got after receiving my undergraduate degree was Teaching French at a Psychiatric Hospital to high school students recovering from drug addiction and other emotional problems. Re how to fit everything in, just concentrate on your health - there are all kinds of ways that school can accommodate your schedule. Profs, Head of department, Advisors can all have great ideas how to help you through your school schedules. Your friends and fellow students can help as well. Anytime you think of something you will need, make a list so that when people start asking what they can do to help, you will have a list ready. I'll be thinking of you on your surgery day and sending you positive vibes.

Haha, yes, school should be the last thing on my mind right now, I think I was just angry that one of my professors said he could not make a decision regarding passing me if I miss the presentation which is on April 30th. That gives me about 2 weeks to recover... Might be pushing it but here's hoping!

Thanks again everyone for the positive thoughts and the reassurance. I am reciprocating to all of you. Will give an update when able .

Well, Katherine, I can see how frustrating it must be with the Prof's attitude towards passing you. I taught several years at the Univ of TN and one thing I used to tell all my students is that "there is always something you can do about whatever situation you are in" and I think this applies in your case. Maybe if you have the time, you could talk to your advisor or the Head of the Dept about your surgery. You might even be able to first ask your doctor to write something about whether you are able to physically do a presentation two weeks after surgery especially one that involves oral cancer so that it is medical advice from a Doctor and not just your wishes. What about getting an "Incomplete" in the class so that you can complete it whenever you are able? So as not to miss graduation, you can still receive a "fake Diploma" when everybody else is receiving theirs and then finish up whatever is required to get your degree. This is what happened at the Univ of TN whenever there was a good reason for it, and it seems to me that surgery is a very good reason. It helps if you can be sweet with whomever you talk to and try to give the impression that you need help and advice about the best way to proceed. You could also check out the main pages of OCF for info on surgery and recovery. THis might help to educate your Prof or anyone you talk to at school. I just remembered your surgery is April 7th tomorrow! So AFTER surgery and whenever you feel up to it you might just put some of your thoughts/wishes together for the people concerned at school. A laptop or iPad would be helpful to take with you to write or speak. When they see what a conscientious and responsible student you are, they can't help but try every which way to accommodate you. Hope everything goes just perfectly for you tomorrow!

Katherine,

Best wishes for a successful surgery. I certainly understand your anxiety about the surgery, but many of us on the forum have been through it already. It isn't fun especially the first few days but you will do fine. Being in pain doesn't help with recovery, so take pain meds as needed.

I hope you can work something out with your professor about your class. There should be something they can do to accommodate your situation.

Post when you can to provide an update.

Hi everyone. Just a quick update, I got home from the hospital today and am doing ok. They said they were able to get clear margins on my tongue so that's a good thing. Hopefully will get results back on my nodes this coming Tuesday.

Thanks to everyone who calmed me down about the anesthesia. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought it would be and my anesthesiologist saved me from having a sore throat (besides the obvious referred pain). Random side note: he was VERY attractive as were the fellows on my surgeons team. I'm pretty sure I was flirting with some of them at one point . Guess the calming drugs worked pretty quick!

Still in some pain as would be expected. I keep getting headaches from the pain meds so that's been a little tough to manage. Hopefully the time frame will go as experienced by many of you and next week will be much better. At least this part is over with.