Donna,

Your case sounds just like my friend Rod. His primary was the left tonsil and lymph node involment. He had all his teeth removed which was pretty bad for a 38 year old guy. I look back at all he has been through and think how much stronger he is than I thought. He had 38 radiation treatments with 3 rounds of cisplatin also. By the first week or so the lymph nodes were completely down. The one was the size of an egg before treatment. The side effects & tx was pretty rough for him but I don't think it's the same for everyone.You can do this though!!!! Starting tx was the hard part and scarey like making the mask but I think once you get in a routine, you'll be like "let's beat this thing". After tx the doctor said he had a complete response to tx no surgery would be needed. Pet scan showed no cancer last November.He gets checked once a month and the doctor is still amazed at how well he looks compared to when he first got diagnosed with a very large tumor. He was stage 4b. I prayed everyday for him because he was struggling with depression as well.It seemed like it was worse than the tx itself. His faith wasn't as strong as mine. Anyway fast forward till today, he is doing well. Changed his diet some and takes better care of himself. No drinking, no smoking. We had a scare with a chest cold (or should I say I had a scare)I worry alot, but it seems it was just the flu. Dry mouth and getting used to his dentures are the biggest problems. Doc said some saliva came back though it's hard for him to eat certain things but he is alive, he can talk, he can sing and he can laugh!!! It will be okay for you too~He also bought his first Harley Davidson and is proud of that! He went back to work a few weeks after tx. If I can help, please feel free to ask anytime. You too will get through this!God Bless!