After nearly 7 years of battling cancer, I'm finally doing more than reading this website. I never thought I'd actually contribute any self-introduction, but here I am.

And why did I think I wouldn't need a "support group" or forum? At 32 with no risk factors, I was diagnosed with a "very rare, very curable" minor salivary gland tumor ("low-grade adenocarcinoma") that was supposed to be easily removed and never rear its ugly head again. That was spring of 1999. Summer of 2003, while my husband was deployed overseas, it metastasized to lymph glands for which I had a neck resection. This cancer is reputedly non-responsive to chemotherapy and radiation so those were seen as last resort means of treatment in my case.

In October, the tumor recurred orally again, this time apparently changing in growth rate and grade. It had spread to sinus cavity, masticular muscle, soft and hard palate, mandible bone, and thankfully came short of breaching the cerebral skull wall. After my November surgery to remove the tumor, (and subsequently bone and all the teeth on the lower right side and front due to lack of re-circulation caused by the eight hours of trauma during the first surgery) I