The suggestions made are right on the mark; don't fixate on the statistics. I was a stage IV cancer; the tumor was over 6cm when it was removed 14 months ago.

I believe strongly that the only way to fight the Beast is to throw everything you can at it. I had an extensive surgery, and 6 weeks of radiaiton...I would have gladly gone the chemo route too had my medical team suggested it. They did not, and I had confidence in the decision they made.

It is a long, painful process..no question. It is a fight you can win though. Early on after my diagnosis, I did the same thing everyone does; research the statistics, fixate on them and panic. When I asked my primary ENT about the numbers he told me that paying attention to them was a fools journey. They approach every tumor with the intention of cure...nothing less is satisfactory. Cure doesn't always happen of course, but when your mindset is strong in that regard, it's one more weapon in your arsenal.

Stage IV cancer patients DO survive; I'm one of them. Will it stay away? Who knows? I know that today is a beautiful sunny day, and I'll enjoy it fully. A recurrence is not going to occupy my thoughts...I choose not to let it. Make the choice to focus on the treatment process, not the what ifs.
Wayne