Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,844 | gj9,
When I was first diagnosed with stage 4 (T4N2M0) oral cancer with bone involvement (jaw) I was stunned. I went in with a tooth ache that I thought was a complication of my wisdom teeth removal months earlier and came out with late stage cancer.
The first thing I wanted to know were my odds...as a businesss man and poker player I was all about numbers, odds and percentages. My ENT (ear, nose, throat) and the head of my cancer team, would not give me those at all. He simply stated that it would be unprofessional of him to even think of giving me that information.
My RO (radio oncologist) was the only one that would answer that question...he said "Eric, it's either 0 or 100%...you are either going to survive this or you are not. Everyone is different and responds to treatment differently.".
I was told that after I chose my medical team, the only thing I could control was my nutrition and my attitude. As Davidcpa has said, this fight is as much of a mental one as it is physical. Choose the best medical professionals available to you, use this forum to vent and for advise, keep your body and mind fed.
Notice my signature, it goes into detail about what my cancer was and how I've been treated.
Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
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