Barry-
Sounds like you are where I was over 3 years ago and I am still cancer free and living with the side effects of treatment have not kept me from living a very full life. My tonsils came out at age 15 only to have one grow back and become stage 4 cancer with 3 lymph nodes involved. I too did not smoke and only socially drank. My advice is be as aggressive as you can be with treatment the first go around. You might not get a second chance!

I had the regrown tonsil removed, modified neck disection, radiation and concurrent chemo. I survived that treatment with most of the messy side effects and you can too!! I had the choice to have a more drastic surgery to redo the throat and sincerely wish I had gone for the gold and been more aggressive. It would have given me much more peace from the fear of recurrence.

It is a hard journey, but you won't be alone and there is a wealth of encouragement and survival tips on this forum! - Kris

SCC Stage IV left tonsil neck disection 3/02 radiation finished 6/02 chemo finished 9/02
Stage 2A left breast cancer 3/09, chemo and radiation, finished treatment 2/7/10 -Stage 2 right beast cancer 10/14 chemo and radiation
Every day is still a gift :-)