I hear you, Wendy! The tough days never end. The treatment of head and neck cancers has come a very long way in a comparatively short period of time. Most people of a certain age have known someone who could not beat a diagnosis of throat cancer. Many of my older relatives and older friends were horror stricken when I told them about Earl's cancer. I was terrified too but I had to appear confident in the treatment options. A friendly fellow at the dog park who is in his late 80's told me that he had a friend named Max who died from the disease. It could not be beaten in those days. My friend's grandmother also passed away in the 1960's from this disease.

Most people carry around terrifying thoughts about cancer. When someone they know receives a diagnosis of cancer then the fear starts for them. They do not seem to realize that their pointed questions are so upsetting. Venting in this forum is the best place because we have all been there. The people who come to the forum are looking for help in so many ways. Hearing us talk about these issues can only help us as well as those who are in the initial phases of the diagnosis.

When people ask those questions I tell them that incredible discoveries have brought us to the present day success rate. As for those who ask about the disease coming back, well, I become rather flippant and reply in very many different ways depending on the personality of the inquisitor. Sometimes I say things like we could be struck by a meteor this minute or a terrorist could be planning to blow up our workplace tomorrow. It seems to end the conversation very quickly. Other times, I will tell them the truth, that we do not know and it is something that we have to live with. It all depends on the person who asks the question.

Earl is doing fine these days. He checks in with his doctor every four months and it has been suggested that he take a synthetic thyroid medication. He tried it for a bit but the side-effects were terrible. He became very panicky and had a racing heart. He is waiting for the doctor to come up with another plan.

Connie