Friends,
This morning I got a telephone call from the P.A. for my oncologist at MDACC (lacking in bedside manner) informing me that my CT scan last week showed a node below the chin that was present in a previous CT scan last year, but appears to have changed somewhat. She said that the oncologist ( who is out of town ) wants me to come back in 3 months for another CT scan so that they can make a comparison. I asked that she have him call me when he returns to town.

I am not satisfied with this little bit of information so I immediately emailed my surgeon's P.A. who has always been a caring friend to me. She will have the surgeon take a look at the scan and the radiologist's report and get back to me. I also emailed my radiation oncologist and asked him to take a look.

Even though I have been dealing with this stuff and MDACC for almost 3 years, I had to remind myself to be my own advocate and not to sit back and just take it. It annoys me that the only person that I heard from was an insensitive P.A. and the prospect of sitting around for the next 3 months wondering what is going on is not pleasant.I hope to get better explanations from the various doctors.

Danny G.

Stage IV Base of Tongue SCC
Diagnosed July 1, 2002, chemo and radiation treatments completed beginning of Sept/02.