Hello OCF forum contributors,

As many of you know the only way people really hear about this helpful and inspiring site is through word of mouth, a card they saw with the web address or searching the web for answers. We want to continue spreading the advice and encouragement but we need the troops that are still going to treatment to help. I know that it may be difficult to think about helping others when you are fighting your own battles, but in some ways it may make you feel better

- If you are going to treatment and have never seen our info card describing the site and all the features, as well as how to navigate to this forum, let me know. We want to make it easy for the next patient that comes through looking for more information to find all of you here that have such valuable experience and information. Leaving this card at the radiation check in desk and other places in the hospital like social services will help the support staff there point them to us with little effort just by putting the cards out or giving them out to patients.

- You don't have to volunteer for anything else - just bringing some cards along toleave with the hospital staff on your next visit.

E-mail me at [email protected] if you want to take some in, or just respond to the thread. I will see that they get posted out to you the next day.

Can't wait to hear from you!!!!!
Brittany

Britanny

I just sent you an email with home address and phone number. Please send me cards. It was not until 4 months AFTER finishing radiation and chemo that I stumbled across OCF. Most of the web sites out there are either bogus or predatory or both!
It would have made a major difference if I had been able to log on during those long lonely months of no one understanding how different this oral cancer is from prostate or breast cancer. Perhaps I would have even gotten a PEG instead of "being tough."

While I am sad that I am back in treatment due to recurrence, I am glad to spread the word. Life is to short, especially now, to waste on "what if"- but I can't help but think that if I had known what I do now, I could have caught my cancer before it was Stage IV and spread to lymph nodes. Plus I appreciate the subtitle on the recurrence forum about "being dealt a hard hand," as after one year OC clean MRIs and PET/CT's to be told that the radiation and chemo had failed, and the exact same cancer was back in the exact same places, and now they needed to cut out my tongue and split my jaw and mor , I was devastated.
So let me help spread the word

Britanny

I sent you a PM last week about the buttons. I have tons of brochures to give out. I would love to wear a button. It would be my badge of courage that I would proudly wear. All my personal mailing info is on the PM or you may already have it from the PA state chapters.

Thank you

When I was diagnsed with OC something took me straight to this Computer and I started looking for an Oral Cancer site. I got lucky on the 2nd try and have been here bothering people since. I think it was 2 or 3 months before I had my 1st surgery. I sure does luv my nu home. LOL

Brittany - besides the cards, please send everyone the metal OCF lapel pin we give to doctor members. These people that reach out and help deserve to be on the same level. That goes for any of you regular posters here that have helped others. Besides the buttons that we have that get conversations going, I would be proud to have you wearing the OCF logo pin if you would like to. You guys are OCF family and part of the solution, many of you as much as the professional staffs that we work with.

Brian you are truly a leader by the definition in your signature. I appreciate everything that you have done and are doing. Thank you.

Patty

I received the cards and badges today, I must say you are fast Brittany . Thank you so much as I will get rid of some of them at my Oncologist and the head of the Cancer Unit this Tue, thw 10th. I like the new badges and the bright colors and I will have one of them on my jacket or shirt. Thanks for the service.

I'm excited..I'm going to my dentist this Tuesday and they already want more brochures. They send them out in new patient packages. They know a lot of people in "the biz" so I'm anticipating needing a lot more!! This is fun!!!

I am so proud to be a part of this. I feel like this is something I was meant to do.

Suzanne, you are a breath of fresh air. So upbeat and bubbly.

Thank you...you are so kind to say that.

How do I get involved in this ? I will do anything to get the word out.........pamphlets, buttons, etc.............It amazes me, the number of people that never heard of OC..........I never heard of it either for that matter. Oh, I am changing the subject here, but Jim had his 5th and last cyberknife treatment on his jaw and needless to say the tumor in his mouth shrunk due to the cyberknife treatments. He is still very ill, but that was the first good news that i've heard in a year................

Claudia...I am so happy you got some good news. That is just wonderful.

Very good news Claudia!!! You have been long overdue for some positive news. Congrats.

Claudia,
Congratulations on the improvement. It's always good to hear that someone is responding to treatment.

Hi Claudia, great news for you! WE would love your help in passing out information!! I will have Brittany send you some information. Could you email her your mailing address so she can get that out to you. I was out of town for few days so Idon't know if you already contacted her. But I will let her know you will be sending it.

This is so great that so many OCF members are really into passing out buttons and brochures. The people on this board are the true meaning of courage and no one better could represent OCF than all of you. Thanks to all!

Brian and Brittany, I got my pins today. Very nice. I will proudly wear one everyday. Thank you!!!!

WOWs - Just now finished plowing through the accumulated mail that my wife did spot as bills and there was a HUGE envelope bursting (literally) with Buttons and cards from OCF. Way to use the flat rate !!! Actually I will be taking a somewhat different approach in distribution. Turns out my son's girlfriend's saw the bag of buttons that came while I was still in hospital. She immediately exclaimed can I have one of each? Her brother is unfortunately in and out of the hospital on long basis and these teenagers are big on buttons. I will be giving Sam plenty along with the OCF cards to distribute in the local high school here which covers the entire city. As this terrible plague catches people younger and younger, so too do we need to educate the youth.

I would like some buttons and literature. I asked on a previous post and everybody ignored me..........lol.............Now, I'm asking again.............How can I help ?

Claudia,
I want to send you some but i need your address.... you can PM me or send it to my email [email protected]. As soon as you give me your address i will send the materials off to you!!'
thanks

Brittany

Hi Claudia,

Just send your address to Brittany and she will send stuff out to you. Thanks for your help! [email protected].

If you know of anyone who wants to be a volunteer in their state as well, let me know! WE will be organizing screenings in the near future. So we could use more energetic people to help OCF!

Thanks

Susan

Charm - it would be better to give the what you need to know about oral cancer brochures out at schools. There's info in it that anyone can use. The cards really only have information about how to find the OCF web site and this message board. They are really targeted for treatment centers where we can get more patients directed to this forum where all of you veterans can help them. If you have the wrong mix of supplies, just email Brittany.

For those of you that haven't heard yet, Brittany is going get back into working in environmental issues, probably in Colorado. She has a history of working with AmeriCorps and that work, as it turns out, is her true passion. She is in the process of interviewing for her replacement, and will be staying a week or two to train that new person. She will be dearly missed as she has learned so quickly, has such a big heart, and really wants to make a difference in the world. I personally will miss her many contributions and ideas, as well as her unfailing help, even though she was only with us here in California for a short time.

My daughter is the charge nurse of the Heart Unit in Steubenville, Ohio at Trinity Hospital. She took some OC info to work to put in the area where she hooks her patients to the treatment machines they get hooked to. She also put them in the waiting room in her area.

brian
will do

Thanks so much, every little bit helps!