Hi Crystal,

I'm hoping that your dilation went well today. I'm not surprised that there is large risk with that procedure, you have different medical issues along with the delicate nature of something going down a person's throat! I'm having faith that with the doctor having experience in doing this procedure on you that his skilled hands performed well.

I really don't know how benign tumors act to be honest. I definitely think they grow, but no idea if they grow slower than malignant or just as fast??

I'll be thinking about you for sure Thursday! Big surgeries so I'm sure you're a little uneasy. frown I believe you said you have your mother and sister to help you, correct? Will they also be keeping your dogs?

Yes, I basically you could say am cancer-free, to my knowledge! I had a ct scan a month or so back and there wasn't anything seen. I have a PET scan next week so hoping the same from that.

I have still been on oxycodone (I've been able to eliminate taking morphine too) to manage my throat pain that is a result of the radiation. For my throat pain to still be so severe, they think I have some nerve damage. They do think my throat is just needing more time to heal and do believe that my throat pain will eventually resolve. I think it's wild that you have got through so much of this without pain medication! It sucks that they make you sick!!

Laura Age 40
Tongue lesion on left side grew and was hurting in mid-August
Dx as squamous cell carcinoma on 9.18.18
Left Neck Dissection and tongue surgery, lost a fourth of my tongue on 10.1.18, tumor had grown to a T3
Margins were clear except front section of tongue margin had three stray cancer cells that were not in the tumor
Additional surgery 10.18.18 to remove another cm near where the stray cells were found
33 radiation treatments from Nov 2018 through Jan 2019