 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 8 | My doctor saw it and asked if I wanted to try antibiotics to heal it or if I wanted a biopsy now or with anesthesia in a few days. I told him just go ahead and take a biopsy, no anesthesia. To me the shot hurts as much as what he was going to do anyway. Then I followed that up with a CT and also an MRI. I felt great, no pain, nothing wrong at all. I was shocked when my doc told me I was Stage IV. This was the 3rd time I had OC within 3 years. This example is why oral cancer is so deadly, people many times have no symptoms until the disease has progressed to the later stages where its difficult to treat.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
