Hi,
As you can see from the title, I'm a Zeppelin fan. Anyway, I was diagnosed earlier this year with oral carcinoma in situ stage 0 of the tongue following a biopsy. I had surgery over a month ago to remove the lesion along with a margin of healthy tissue. I was hoping to get the all clear when I went back to the Dental Hospital for my results, but they said that they found both mild and moderate dysplasia in the margins. I have to go back every three months for check-ups. I don't really know what to make of all this. I'm a non-smoker, and I drink very little. They can give me no reason as to why I've developed this condition nor any recommendations as to what I should or shouldn't do to prevent its progression. They also seem pretty clueless about recurrence. Seemingly the studies aren't great. I'm currently raising 2 little boys, 4 and 7, and I'm trying to keep it together but to be honest I'm a total wreck inside. Also, I don't find the idea that they will simply perform visual examinations every few month particularly reassuring. During my first exam at the hospital, the doctor was very clear about the need to remove the lesion. During the second exam, a different doctor said leaving it and just keeping an eye on it was an option. Then on the day I had the surgery with a third doctor, he was very clear about the need to remove it. The whole visual inspection thing seems highly subjective to me, and it also means that cell changes have to reach the stage of being visible before the doctors will take action. Has anyone got any advice? Have you had similar experiences? Am I overreacting to having mild and moderate dysplasia? Should I be thinking about this differently?