Rayster, welcome to OCF and very sorry that you had a reason to join us. I heard those dreaded words in 2005 when my sons were still teenagers. I wasn’t sure I would live to see them graduate from high school. My journey had a lot of bumps in the road including a recurrence in 2010. I had a lot of side effects but overall I am doing well and enjoying life. I personally know many long-term survivors. Most people do not have a recurrence and most OCF forum members rarely post on here after they are done with treatment. This disease can be aggressive and you should treat it that way. Treatment can be brutal, but it is only temporary. If possible seek a second opinion at a major cancer center that treats a lot of oral cancer patients. I was initially treated locally (didn’t know better), but when I had a recurrence, I went for a few “second” opinions and ended up at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I wish I had started there for so many different reasons.

Wishing you the best!