 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Hi Karen,
I was 41 when I was diagnosed with jaw cancer and at the time my youngest was 9 and I also had two grandaughters ages 3 and 4. I have seven children so this really shook our family up alot. I wasn't given alot of information at first either and when I did start learning it scared me so badly. I'm sure you're feeling pretty scared right now but what you must do is make sure you are getting the proper treatment. That should be your main goal right now. Can you tell us more about your cancer, such as staging, etc?
I had an enormous surgery removing half of my jaw and replacing it with a bone from my leg and then had 6 week of radiation. Two years later I am alive and well, cancer free, changed yet in my opinion a better person for it all. Cancer robs us but the experience of cancer gives many hidden gifts.
I hope you have a good support system and that you can keep a positive attitude.
Take care,
Minnie
SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.
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