Also, did you experience any soreness in the lips? I have a scar in the middle of my lip but right next to it, there is a tender bump that is bothering me. And ever since my biopsy, my lips have been peeling everyday! Is this normal?! I'm going to call the doctors office to voice my concern. Hopefully it hasn't traveled to my lip! I do see sores on my gums. They've never been there before. I feel like the closer I am to surgery, the more pain I feel! Everyone's recovery is such a motivation to me! I will try my best to check back soon before my surgery thursday!

Also, I went to the gastrointestinal doctor because there was blood in my stool. He said it was a result of painkillers and not to worry about it. He did blood tests to see if I was anemic and I'm not, he also did a blood test for my thyroid and said it looks slightly mildly hyperactive, but he said not to worry about it and to come see him after I'm healed from this big surgery.

Please talk to your physicians about needing to see a dentist for flouride trays. Since the physicians you are seeing arent radiation oncologists, they might not be aware of the importance of flouride trays.

Stress can wreck havoc on the body. Im sure you must be under considerable stress counting down the days until the surgery. This could be a major factor in the mouth sores that you suddenly have. I doubt it would be cancerous tumors but without a biopsy its not possible to be sure.

Waiting 3-4 months for your recovery to begin radiation does not sound right. When determining a treatment plan, doctors will use a flow chart and should go by the NCCN Guidelines. Of course everyone is different and all kinds of other factors can get added to the mix. This is why a second opinion is so important. All you or any patient can do is to seek out the very best medical care they can and go with it.

NCCN Guidelines for head and neck cancers



PS.... Please take a few minutes to review the link I sent you thru a private message (PM). It will teach you all the little ins and outs of the forum. There is a section on how to edit posts so its not necessary to write post after post.

Good luck with your surgery! I will be thinking of you and sending healing and positive thoughts your way! I would like to hear about your recovery and journey.

Hey Ang, how's it goin? Anyway, as far as diet goes, initially I just wanted to get some calories in. I am trying at this time to eat healthfully, something that I have done to various degrees throughout my life.
At this time, I am following some good advice I got from a friend who never gets sick, is healthy and in shape. She keeps it real simple. She walks a lot (she is tour guide in NYC). But the thing I am trying to do now,which she does, is eat "clean." I don't eat meat, other than occasional fish or a small piece of chicken.Lots of beans and various rices. Lots of fruits, nuts and vegetables, organic at times but not always. I stay away from processed stuff. With that said, I do have some sweets at times, it's about a balance. If this ends up taking me down, it won't be because I ate some pastry.
As far as holistic remedies, I can't say I am too familiar with those. I am sure some of those things have some validity, possibly to help with side effects of chemo, etc. It is so hard to find information that can be verified as reliable when you check into those things though. So I am sticking with the tried and true on this one. The stakes are just too high. I have also been a nurse for a long time within the mainstream medical world so I have some trust on that, my doctors have been real straight with me from the onset. I was on medications a couple of times for depression. I didn't like the effects, so I do go for accupunture treatments about once a month and I get a therapeutic massage about once a month too. None of those type meds for over 2 years, so it did help somehow, even if only a "placebo effect." They really help the stress factor and I think that is something too often overlooked.
I will say a prayer for you. In a few days, the surgery part will be over. Take care. Denise

Hi Angie,
welcome to OCF. I hope the surgery went well and you are on the mend. Take care of yourself and make sure to get enough liquids to not get dehydrated. Keep the pain under control - there is no reason to suffer unnecessarily. Good luck, don

I hope your surgery went well! Thinking of you and sending good vibes! Denise

Thank you! I am still recovering from surgery. It's been 3 weeks since the operation! Pathology tests came out clear except for microscopic intermediate risKS of cancer cells? I'm not sure. I'm still confused by it all. Anyways, I chemotherapy doctor in 5 days, and the radiation oncologist in 10....my two primary surgeons who removed a part of my tongue and removed the tumor say I definitely need radiation and that chemo is recommended but not mandatory. They offered me a clinical trial. I'm still thinking about it. Thabks for the positive vibes!

Thank you for your respond! It's been 3 weeks since my surgery! The doctors say I'll need radiation and chemo isn't necessary but recommended. They also offered a clinical trial with a lower toxic form of chemo but it's randomized so I'm not quite sure what to choose. I still have my feeding tube in. They want to keep it in until radiation is over just so I can get nutrition. All this is overwhelming. I hope all is well.

Hi! Glad to hear the surgery part is now over with! Boy was I glad to get home after the surgery and sit around on the sofa thinking how I had a giant part of the whole treatment behind me. How is the recovery coming along? I was so happy when the stitches melted. It took longer than I thought it would. I hope you are now able to eat some and build up for the next portion of your treatment!! I will send more good vibes and keep you in my prayers!! Denise. Keep us posted!