Hi, My name is Tony and this is my first post to this board.

I am 55 years old and live in a small town in Alabama. I install computer software and train customer how to use the software. The majority of my job entails traveling across the country a week at a time doing the installations.

I was diagnosed last week with Cancer of the right tonsil. This is the primary site. What started all of this was a lump on the right side of my neck was removed (after anitbiotic treatments) and found to have squamous Cell carcinoma.

Because of the size of both tumors and the fact that it had spread to my neck, it has been classifed as stage 4.

I am just starting the journey toward treatment. I am going to be treated with radiation and chemo therapy. 5 days a week for 7 week of radiation and 1 chemo treatment each week.

After the treatments, I'm sure that I will have to have surgery for a neck dissection. Other surgeries will have to be determined after treatment has been completed.

The radialogist wants to put a feeding tube in right away so I can learn to use it before starting the treatments. I really don't want to do that, but I have seen comments on this board that it is probably the right thing to do.

I am a very big fellow, over 270 lbs and I would like to think that I could get by without the feeding tube. Any comments would be welcome.

Also, any suggestions regarding products and/or things that I can do to help with the side affects of the radiation will be helpful.

I look forward to being an active participant on this board.

Tony