I have sad news today. Vicki, a woman who was diagnosed a couple of months after I was, lost her battle with this horrible disease today. Her path was similar to mine in the beginning. She started out with it on her tongue and had surgery, radiation and chemo. In the last two years, she had a recurrance, this time in her throat. She had more surgery and more chemo, but the tumours did not respond very well. She had been in hospice the last two weeks and had been taken off life support. I urged her to check out this website and forum, but I don't know if she ever did. Vicki was always upbeat and positive the whole time. RIP, Vicki.

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.