Welcome to OCF, Ang! You definitely found the very best place to have lots of support and also the benefit of getting correct medical info too We will help you get thru your treatments and recovery.

Have you gotten a second opinion? Since you are in FL, you have a CCC, Moffitt located in Tampa. What about a PET scan to get staged? How about seen your dentist? If doing rads you should have fluoride trays made and any questionable teeth removed now. Any talk about needing additional treatment like radiation with or without chemo?

I hope I havent overwhelmed you by throwing so many questions at you right off the bat. Just remember surgeons always say surgery is the way to go, same for radiologists and medical oncologists say chemo is necessary. Also remember once its been removed you cant put it back to its original functionality (even with skin graphs). This is why I was asking about a second opinion, hopefully at a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). At a CCC a team based approach is used so all the specialists work together to make the treatment plan. Its called a tumor board where the doctors get together and discuss each individual case, the patient is able to attend as well.

You probably will want to begin focusing on your intake. Eat all your favorites now, desserts too Dont worry about gaining a couple pounds, you will probably be like most of us and lose weight during your treatments. When a person has cancer they burn up calories at an increased rate. During treatments and recovery you will want to boost your intake. If doing rads you will need a minimum of 2500 calories and 48-64 oz of water daily. You may not be able to eat very well right after surgery so have all your favorites now.

Hopefully your treatment facility has a speech pathologist on hand to help you right after surgery. By getting one involved early, they can help you relearn how to eat and work on your enunciation. This is very important to OC patients who have their tongue affected.

If you havent already done blood tests, make certain they are testing your thyroid levels now too. If doing rads, you may have problems years down the road with your thyroid. A blood test now ensures you will know what your regular baseline thyroid levels should be. Taking a pill a day to manage your thyroid isnt a big deal, but getting the baseline level is.

Line up friends and relatives to stay with you as much as possible while you are in the hospital. Anyone who offers to help tell them when the time comes you will let them know what they can do. Write down everyones info so you can get someone to reach out for help when necessary. Its easiest if you have only one point of contact so everyone who wants updates will ask this one person. When you arent feeling the best you probably wont want to be bothered by a million texts, posts and emails. Take a dry erase board to the hospital with you and a little bell so you can easily get someones attention if you need help. This is also why someone should stay with you as much as possible. In the hospital a million people will be in and out of your room, most wont know you arent able to talk and will expect you to speak to them. Also ask your doc for a possey muir valve trach. If you are able to talk this is the type that will enable you to speak.

I could go on and on with tiny little tips. But Ive probably already overwhelmed you and that is definitely not my intention. I want you to avoid the pitfalls that many patients run into. Best wishes with everything!!!