It's an interesting topic donfoo, how they've defined the stages. I feel like I am in a limbo stage now having just completed treatment but having no idea if it worked or not and won't know for several weeks. Does that make me a limbo survivor, doing the dance with a great back bend to get under the pole? I'm not that flexible but I will try anyway and likely fall down and get up again with your help, dust myself off and try again. Maybe I better practice some yoga this time? I'm joking around but I'm with all of the above it that I am both a survivor and a fighter.

No way should anyone be embarrassed about not understanding newly made up stages of survivorship. I've in a different stage with each of these cancers so it's confusing for me. I'm hoping for more research and more cures so that more of us can live good lives while grateful for everything that's been done that has helped us all.








HPV+ P16 positive squamous cell carcinoma

Oct 2014 found neck node lumps
Went to Oncologist (TNBC)
Ultrasound
2 CT Scans - body/head and neck
Needle & core biopsy
Pet Scan
Biopsy to find primary w/ anesthesia - failed
Second Opinion found primary & biopsied
Biopsy confirmed HPV+ P16 Squamous cell carcinoma
Radical Neck Dissection 11/22/2014
32 lymph nodes removed - 3 positive
Ported 12/29/14
Chemo and rads to start January 5, 2015
cisplatin weekly 40 mg/m2
Rads M-F for 7 weeks