Good evening everyone! My husband and I live in Central North Carolina. Yesterday, we were told that my husband, who is 76 years old, has "invasive mandible squamous cell carcinoma". An MRI is being scheduled, so it will be a while before we have any idea what to expect as far as treatment. I feel very fortunate that I have found this site and hope that it will help us as we walk through this valley. Thank you for allowing us to join you! Lois and Buzz

Hello Emmylou1951 aka Lois and Buzz

Welcome to the Oral Cancer foundation website. You have come to the right place for help, information and compassion. We are sorry you had to join us but we will help you get thru this disease. We will hold your hand and walk with you. You are not alone.

I just sent you two E-mails that will help get you started and it will familiarize you with this site.

Post back here with any questions you have. Once you read my E-mails you will understand this forum a little better and should post in the "Introduce Yourself" forum.

All this is explained in the two E-mails I sent you.

You can E-mail me or post here if you have any questions about how to navigate this site.

All questions about your diagnosis of SCC should be posted here.

Good Luck and We are looking forward to helping you through your journey. Sincerely, Petey

TKay2001

Have you made any progress of any kind. I have not heard back from Tim Malloy. Please keep us posted.

Call me anytime, (you have my number) I am always here. If I do not answer, leave a message. I will call back shortly.

I am working on a few idea's for you. I also have a full plate to contend with here, but by no means have I put you on the back burner.

Nothing really new here Petey, I got your email and video, thank you so much. Vanderbilt did call and got info for financial assistance, with the way our luck has been, not getting hopes up. Have not received and responce back from emails sent, but that doesn't surprise me either. Please let me know how you are doing and what you are up to, know you are busy now, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Also everyone please call me Laura and my husband's name is Oscar..should have posted earlier.

Hey Oscar and Laura

I just sent you an E-mail. Hopefully we can get a response some time Monday.

Don't ever give up, and keep fighting. I know it seems hard but you can do this. You have a big support team here. Hang in there.

Write any questions you have right here. You can ask anything from A to Z or just vent. As we say here, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask...

Wishing and Praying for you. Petey

Just read your email Petey, thank you soooo much. Hopefully we will hear from someone soon. Something needs to happen and soon, it seems like he gets worse everyday, and the pain he is going through. We post more later.

Ok, here we go, another update. After having many doors slammed in our face and being treated like we were garbage by our local offices, we may have made progress. Husband had to quit his job today, we took his discharge papers to DHS for tenncare and they wanted us to come in for another interview in 2 weeks..WTF..we were just there last week. SOOOO, I called Social Security main office in Nashville, they are going to call husband within 2 days and let him apply over the phone for his disability and insurance. Then Vanderbilt hospital called and we have an appointment with radiology oncologist, this Friday. Don't know what they will do as this is our first visit with them. Also, got him and appt with oral surgeon in Memphis for June 19 for the teeth. Seems like I have spent the last week on the phone, things are slowly happening. I am tired of them dragging their feet, while I watch him go downhill. The hydro was giving him a headache and they switched him to darvocet, which doesn't give him headache, but makes him feel high and isn't helping the pain. Hopefully things will start rolling in the right direction, I am at my wits end.

Hello Laura and Oscar

I am so glad you have had something positive happen. Doesn't it suck (excuse me) that he had to quit his job to get help? Believe you me I went through enough WTF"s to last a lifetime.

Here is the positive thing. Once you see the first doctor you are "in the system" they have to take care of you.

When SS calls make sure you explain to them that he has cancer and that they would not help him because he was employed. That is why he quit his job. Also, he would not be able to work once he had started treatments. My doctor wrote on a RX that I would be disabled for 6 months. He will need that long to recover after the radiation.

I am not a doctor, and have not been through this. (Just starting) But I read this on this site. You can do a search here on radiation and you can verify what I say is true in most cases.

As far as the medication he needs something much stronger. Again YOU MUST put your foot down. Look the doctor in the eye and tell him Oscar has cancer and is not getting treatment. Therefore he is not getting better, he is getting worse. They gave me percodan and they did not help. Then percocette. Then I went on line and printed out from the RX book and he wrote me a RX for Oxycodone 30 mg. That did the trick.

DO NOT let SS give you the run around. I hate to bring it up but you must tell them he has a 40% to 50% shot at this. He must not be turned down. (DO NOT READ INTO THE PERCENTAGE ASPECT, EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT)

Laura...You are handling this as best as possible. Try to relax a little. You have made great progress. Once he starts treatment the sinking feelings will ease up. You have done everything possible. Continue to be the loving wife you are to your whole family. You are the "glue" holding everything together right now. My prayers are with you.

I will write back shortly. Petey

Ok I have emailed John Wilder, Phil Bredesen, and our local news station person, Andy Wise. I told them exactly how I felt and told them I wanted to hear from them, what they expected our family to do. I will continue emailing and calling until I get a response and will keep you posted.

Tim Malloy the reporter who is following my story is to do another segment tomorrow. I told him about TK's husband. He said we could talk tomorrow. But his station WPTV5 is a NBC affiliate and Andy Wise, WREG3 is a CBS affiliate.

I will ask him to make a courtesy call, and maybe segway into it in a brief 1 sentance in my interview about the plight of the uninsured and cancer. That this is happening all over the USA. I also want to ask him "point blank" why they always edit out when I say the Oral Cancer Foundation, or www.oralcancer.org.

There are 60 million uninsured Americans. And I read somewhere that more than 1/3rd of those with insurance (80 million) are under insured.