When I finished all of my radiation treatments, they asked me if I wanted to keep the mask. I guess I could have taken it home and hung it on the wall, but at the time, I never wanted to see it again! Actually, I thought that the "fudgesickle" (that's what I thought that it looked like) that I had to bite down on was worse than the mask. I understood the reason for it (to protect the roof of my mouth from the radiation)but I sure didn't like it!

Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.