I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself and thank you all for such a wonderful forum. It seems to be an amazing group of very supportive and highly informed people..a god send at this stage of my experience.

I'm 39 and was dx with Stage IV SCC at the base of my tounge (about 3x3x2 cm) that has irregular boarders and areas of probable invasion into my neurovascular regions but has not efected my jaw or larynx at all. I also have 3 nodes involved in my neck on either side. I'm being treated by an amazing group of people at Mass General Hospital's Yawkey Center for Head and Neck Cancer.

I went to my PCP for routine visit in early Feb. I had some recurrent sinus infections and noticed the swelling of my lymph nodes that hadn't gone down. She wisked me off to a ENT oncologist, who did a small needle aspirition biopsy and found SCC cells...an endoscope the next day found the mass on my toungue. A week later I had a port put in my chest and a full biopsy of the mass done and a few days latter started chemo. That was last Thursday-Sunday. I ditched the 5FU pack on monday morning, and here I sit amazed at how much my life has changed in 3 short weeks time.

I thank the chemo gods for having some mercy on me. I have responded very well and had little adverse reaction. I'm tired and dizzy and feel all sorts of weird things going on in me, have a good case of thrush, and am farting up a storm, but I'm also eating some oatmeal as I type and enjoying it for the moment. I haven't had any neausea or vomiting, and am not taking any meds for it.

the plan is 2 or 3 rounds of chemo (docetaxel/cisplatin/5fu) then follow with 5-6 weeks of radiation with some concurrent chemo. I'm just glad to be past week one and over one hurdle....I look at it all sorta like this bowl of oatmeal. I don't really want it, but I know I need it, and if I keep taking small bites while doing other stuff I like before I know it it will be all gone and I'll feel better in the end. a bowl of oatmeal...a bowl of cancer? its all the same....just keep going in small steps.

anyhow...thats my story. I can't say that I am thrilled to join your group, but I am thrilled its here to join.

BTW: apart from eating oatmeal, I am also a car nut, I am involved in motorsports at both the professional and amature level, I am an advid motorcylist (sportbikes) and sailor, love to travel hike and scuba dive, snowboard, cook, and in between I pretend to be a lawyer to pay the bills. Patent law, mostly biotech....

I look forward to getting to know you all through the next few months and beyond...

thanks
dave