I have recommended the OCF site and patient forums before as a medical librarian and on my personal blog now for a couple of months, so I thought it was time I introduced myself. I had experienced left cheek pain on contact for the past 3 years, but didn't think it was important. I figured it was due to:a)too much phone use at work; b)stress when my husband was activated for military duty the next year; and/or c)being the mother of two (wonderful) teens. I mentioned it to my dentist last November, who said it wasn't TMJ, and that I should see my family doctor. I noticed a lump coming up in April 2006, and the pain was constant and increasing. One of my coworkers saw me holding my cheek, and said she would nag me until I went to the doctor - that did it! When I saw my doctor, she ran her hands down both sides of my face, making me gasp (I went out of my way to avoid hugs or anything on that side of my face!). She predicted it was a parotid tumor, and referred me to the head and neck guys. After a titre for mumps (well, they have to prove everything, I suppose, and patients' word doesn't count), I underwent a core biopsy which was inconclusive (turns out they were looking for lymphoma). The next week (June 22) I went in for another biopsy, with the knowledge that if they found anything, they would take the parotid. That was fine with me - I figured it was best at room temperature anyway, since all it was causing me was pain. I visited the surgeon the next week (June 30), and he told me he was very surprised to find a tumor, and that it was adenoid cystic carcinoma, and that I would need radiation. The tumor board would meet the following Monday to decide if I should have a radical neck operation done - but the decision was that radiation would be all the treatment I required at this time. My IMRT radiation experience is pretty much outlined on my blog http://cheekylibrarian.blogspot.com, with the hope that anyone else having to go through it will find something useful. I don't know when taste will return, but I haven't had mouth sores for a week now, so I figure things are healing. I have learned a lot from this forum, and hope that I will be able to give back to others. I just want all family members, friends, and fellow survivors to know that we all can use medical and public libraries for access to information for our health questions. Tell them Teresa sent you!