So, we've had the dreaded appointments. Wednesday was the Oncology Team and we were pretty much left in limbo. I won't bore you with all the details, but the end result was no to both chemo and radiation. They said they just couldn't recommend putting him through all that when it wouldn't make much difference in the overall picture. We had a worrisome night, but forged ahead with the appointment with the surgeon the next morning.

That appointment was SO much better. He told us last year's tumor and this one were probably related. Even though last year's surgery (at our local clinic) indicated clean margins, and a subsequent biopsy looked clear - there were likely some microscopic cells that got away and formed this new tumor.

This surgeon, at Rush, took a more definitive approach. He not only took the tumor, but also took 1-1/2 cm margins around the tumor and around the old surgery spot. That's a huge margin, but he's positive he got all the cancer this time. He said, in all honesty it could come back next year. Or it could never come back. There's just no way to predict, so we'll remain under close observation.

With the immediate worry behind us now, we can focus on healing and rehab. Doctor says speech and swallow will probably never be really good, but the body learns to compensate. For now, hubby is still on thin purees - but the Rush Dietitian has given us some guidelines and goals. And their Speech Pathologist is working with us on the swallow. We'll worry about speech once we're no longer struggling with nourishment.

Gosh, we love the Team Approach at Rush. They do have a Social Worker for us, Gloria, and she calls every week to see how she can help. Amazing.

Anyhow, even though the immediate crisis seems to be behind us, I do intend to be an active member of this forum. There is just SO much to learn - and the viewpoints and resources here are priceless.