Marv,

Welcome to OCF and very sorry you have a need to join our group. You’ve been given great advice and there isn’t much I can add. As you can see from my signature, I’ve been dealing with oral cancer since 2005 and had my share of problems, misdiagnosis and recurrence. I know Christine personally (remarkable person) and as she stated most people with oral cancer do not have a recurrence and leave this forum once their treatment is done. When I had a recurrence one doctor recommended having most of my tongue removed. I was terrified of that prospect but did schedule that surgery. Fortunately I went for another opinion at one of the best hospitals for oral cancer in the country, and was given the option of a far less invasive surgery. That was in 2010 and I’m still here.

I gave birth to 2 sons without pain medication, but oral pain is IMHO far worse. There are many pain medications that can help you with that. I was on the fentanyl pain patch for many months post-radiation - powerful medication but it does help. Opioids do help and are prescribed for many OC patients. There are many mouth rinses to help numb the pain and help you eat. It is difficult to eat and maintain proper nutrition when you are in pain. I lived for many months on smoothies. A good blender (ex. Vitamix) really helps. I’m also claustrophobic and anxiety mediation did help. The treatment isn’t easy, but it is only temporary. Take a day at a time and focus on the future. This forum is a great resource to connect you with people who have been through treatment before. So ask questions. Wishing you the best!