i'm two months in and more than a handful of people have said to me "ohh cancer? really? my "fill in the blank" just died of cancer." i'm thinking"uhhh, umm, ok that is not comforting" and i just say "sorry." sigh. and my best friend just told me to "move on." (yeahhh, i don't think i will be moving on anytime soon) but yes tracy, it's true people are well meaning. what i've had to do is say to myself, this experience will teach me to be more sensitive and choose my words more carefully when comforting others. i know i've unknowingly said a lot of insensitive things in the past and probably will in the future. however, i hope those times are few and far between.

Nancy (53 at dx)
Metastatic SCC. Stage III. HPV positive with occult primary. N1, no ecs
7/1/11 - L-Selective neck dissection. Tonsillectomy. All clean. No rad, no chemo.
5/29/13 - Found primary
7/3/13 - TORS
7/8/13 - Emergency Surgery/Blood vessel burst in throat
8/9/13 - Peg in
9/3/13 - Radiation starts 30 IMRT, 60gy BOT, 56gy both sides of neck
10/14/13 - Radiation ended!
11/12/13 - PEG out!