Hi,
As you can see by my signature we are new to this journey. I am very scared but trying to stay positive for my husband and kids - we have a 13 yo daughter and 12 yo son. Have bought some books but this forum has already been priceless in the information I've found and the questions I've already learned to ask. Thank you all so much for this forum!

Hubby woke up to a large, painless lump in L neck on the 5th of Dec - when two rounds of antibiotics did nothing our GP (who has been wonderful) referred him to an ENT with CT scan. ENT had a PET done Xmas Eve morning. Pet shows clear below the neck - spot on left BOT with very small mets to R neck and large area on L neck. L ND done 7 Jan - 31 nodes examined, 5 with mets, largest mets 6.4cm. Positive for extracapsular invasion (invasion of skeletal muscle and soft tissue). Positive for blood vessel invasion. They had planned to do Bilateral ND, but spent 7 hours getting everything they could on the L side. Removed the sternocloidalmastoid muscle & jugular vein, but there is infiltration in the wall of the carotid artery.

I see on here many talk about the need for a second opinion, but we were referred immediately to Siteman Cancer Center and we have so far been very comfortable with what they have said and done. RO is a bit short but we don't have to like her - just trust her and I do. Any opinions on this are welcome.

We meet with the MO on Tuesday so any info or questions I welcome - I see some have had IC before starting concurrent but so far that is not the plan as I know it. He gets fitted with the mask/simulation on 25 Jan.

Seeing a dentist tomorrow to make sure dental issues are all taken care of. He goes into hosital on Thurs for g-tube placement. As a nurse I am fairly comfortable with taking care of it and teaching him about it - and am prepared to sit on him and pour nutrition/fluids down him if needed. His pet name for me is Nurse Ratched - hence my username.

Thanks to this forum, we've already been back to the GP, gotten him on a low dose antidepressant, got a script for xanax, and she said all we need to do is call her if we need anything else to avoid another appointment and co-pay.

Any advise or extra information anyone can give I appreciate!

Thanks,
Shelly