Great news, my biopsy was negative for cancer! I did have one area of "abnormal cellular activity," which the docs think is due to inflammation. So the mysterious sore that showed up months post-treatment is a rare late-onset radiation ulcer. It's particularly puzzling since I actually had very few mouth sores during treatment. In my head I've worked it around to reassuring evidence that the rads did blast the heck out of my tonsil cancer!

Next week the docs will start me on a vascularization drug to promote healing of the ulcer. They're reluctant to go straight to HBO, I'm not sure why.

Now that we know this isn't a recurrence I'm realizing how truly frightened I was. Neither surgery nor radiation would have been good options. But since it looks like I'm going to live, I guess I will have to start doing the laundry again and work as though I want to keep my job smile.

Thank you all for the warm and steady words of encouragement, you have brought me through yet another storm -- I'd be sunk without you.

Hugs,

Lynn

53
T3N2aM0 HPV+
5/26/13 discovered painless superball-sized lymph node in neck
6/26/13 DX SCC R palatine tonsil
7/16/13 TORS tonsillectomy & selective ND, mets to 2 nodes
9/3/13 Cisplatin and rads begin, tolerated 1.5 of 3 planned chemo doses
10/16/13 Treatment ends
Dec 13 Ulcer appears at surgery site
Jan 17 Biopsy -- no cancer!
Feb 17 CT/PET Scan lights up tonsil bed & nasal cavity, docs say probably inflammation, don't panic, rescan when ulcer subsides