Thank you both for replying so quickly, I can already see that this site will be a great source of support and information for me, I really wish I had found it earlier!
Emily, I am so sorry and shocked to hear about your sister- I have no idea what it feels like to be a caregiver for someone with cancer but from seeing my family and particularly my mum go through everything with me, I think sometimes it's the caregivers who can suffer the most emotionally. The focus is all on the patient and in some ways it's easier to deal with everything if it's happening to you, because you are so focussed on getting better(and don't have much choice in a lot of things!), while your loved ones can't do much else but be there for you. I hope this site and your work with other cancer patients helps you in your grief. You are right about oral cancer being somewhat of an unknown cancer in the media, I had never heard of tongue cancer and from my research it seems like it is on the increase. My hope is to get my and other stories out there so people are more aware of it. (although trying to convince my friends to stop smoking has been amazingly difficult...)
Helen, thank you for replying- ggreat to hear from a fellow aussie! I will be on the lookout for more young people on here, thanks for the tip.
Look forward to talking with you both more often, thanks for your support.
Lozz