My adult kids were actually pretty good. My daughter came and sat with me to give my husband a break. My son doesn't live nearby, so I didn't see him until I was a couple of weeks into treatment. I had tried to be pretty upbeat whenever I talked wth him on the phone, so he was pretty shocked when he saw me for the first time. I don't talk about it much with them, now, but I guess that I really have no reason to. I guess that I just prefer to move on with it, and concentrate on my beautiful new grandson.

Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.