Hi bethers0808 (sorry don't know your name) and Meredith,

Thanks for the welcome and for the positive comments. bethers 0808, my lesion started when I bit my cheek really hard about 2 and half years ago..saw an ENT doctor who was not too concerned. The lesion kept coming and going until about 2 years later when it stopped healing. Saw my dentist who referred me to an oral surgeon and he diagnosed it as Lichens Planus. Got given steriod creams,they were useless and steroid injections which cleared it up for a while but then I noticed the pain had changed. Finally had a biopsy which came back positive for SCC (a day that my life changed).I appreciate your comment that I should be allowed to fall apart!! How can one remain composed all the time when you are fighting this battle? Wish I could but falling apart actually releases a bit of stress and tension for me and boy I seem to be very stressed lately!!

Meredith, nice to meet a fellow Aussie.Congratulations on being a long term survivor...like i said in my above post, it gives me hope. Praying hard that my tests are negative!When are you coming to WA? Are you coming to Perth? Hope your uncle gets better and the shunt works.

Wishing both of you a very nice day :-)

SCC of the Buccal Mucosa (R cheek)- T1N0M0.10 hour Surgery on 27/9/10 involving resection with freeflap from radial forearm..clear margins. Neck dissection..negative nodes.Trachy, NGT, no rad or chemo needed at the time. Neck lump positive for SCC..again! MND 14/2/11. Waiting to have chemo and rads