Hi Len, Stay stronger than cancer. You are alive, and that is the only place you need to be to start. I am a 32 year old woman who was diagnosed in january with scc of lateral tongue. Wow, a woman, a 31 year old healthy woman. The doctors don't see this much. In feburary i had 30% of my tongue removed with a selctive neck disection. I thought i was good to go, well in june it was back. I found a lump in my neck, it had spread to the lymph nodes very aggressively, the doctors didn't even think i would be able to have surgury because it was growing so fast. Well i just had a radical left neck disection on thursday. Needless to say i stay very positive and don't listen to what the doctors say very much. So far they have been wrong a lot. And when they are they say it is because of my age that i am able to bounce back so quickly. Little do they know that a positive attitude, a will to live and knowing god do move mountains. Before surgery i went through 7 weeks of radiation, location was cheekbone to chest front, back, left and right because it was so aggressive and i am so young. I also had chemo for two sessions, first session was first day of radiation. I had 3 hours of cysplatin then a continuous stream of other chemo for 4 days straight through my hickman catheter. Then about the 4th week of radiation i got my second dose. The nurses kept saying your hair will fall out--i kept saying i am gonna keep it. I kept it, the place it fell out was underneath from the radiation... I told myself that the chemo juice was the light of God and how can the light of God make you sick? Don't get me wrong the second round was a little tougher due to the amount of radiation i had already received. I am 2 months out and doing great, i love my life. I love my family and i am planning to stick around. I would love to help you out with anything i can. I am not sure how much info you would like. Make sure to get a cool air humidifier, drink lots of water-it is great for the skin and get yourself some Resource Support. It is a specialized high enery, high proten drink for people with cancer. It helps promote weight gain, helps build muscle, helps strengthen the immune system and is 360 calories. When it is just awful to swallow and even when it isn't this stuff is great for you. I will be watching for your response and praying for you. Remember that the human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.

Marcy