Thanks SO much for all your replys. WOW! What a differance a day makes! The radiolgist on Don's case returned my "frantic" message today. He explained that yes there are spots in his lungs,and that it is not uncommon,usually these are harmless but they will be monitoring them. This was a great analogy he gave me, and maybe it will help someone else out there. He said, " If we scanned your entire skin surface a few months ago, and scanned it again now, how many freckles, moles, age spots etc. would we find differant? WaaLA! I could sure relate to the age spots! He says Don is doing great. He looked in on his tongue today and there some major shrinkage going on! I know the nodes are about 1/2 the size of a week and a half ago! And now I learn on this board that there really IS hope for enough mobility to go back to the golf coarse! I can't wait to tell him tomorrow, he's asleep now. It's a really good day today. I can't remember the name of the chemo medication he gets once a week but I think it started with fluro something and some of the cita whatever...( forgive me for my ignorance there, but because it wasn't the major parts of his treatments I didn't get back to read those notes and thats one report I didn't get an update on yet but I will post it when I find out). Yes, he gets it for about 3 hours once a week. They say they've had a lot of success with this treatment for head and neck cancers. It's a University teaching hospital and on the "Best Hospital" list it's #20. We went to #5 for our third opinion but then learned that if you go to a surguon for an opinion, they want to do surgury first, If you go to a oncology radiologist, they want to do radiation first. Our decision was made when we went to a surgeon... and he said he, AND his oncology radiologist work TOGETHER to choose a plan (along with the chemo DR of coarse). As for the alcohol, your right most people don't tell the truth about their consumption, Don told his Dr's "a couple a week" at first. I jumped in and said CASES... That's weird why he would do that. I really exagerated with the cases bit, but I wanted him to be honest with the people tring to help him. And truthfully, all the DR had to say was "NO" and that was it.. It hasn't bothered him, he's not ornery, he didn't go into DTs or anything, He never drinks at home anyway and we really haven't felt much like going out since Halloween. Here it is New Years eve and we watched the Three Stooges marathon and played a couple games of scrabble. We're fine with that. It's culture shock more than anything, We're from Wisconsin! We eat cheese & brats, drink beer and root for the PACKERS! :rolleyes: I'll tell you though something that REALLY irritated us, (I think me more than him even) was to stop into a bar to see people you know and ask the bartender for a rootbeer and you get bombarded with questions! Does that happen in places other than Wisconsin??? How pathetic! I really hope the beer thing wont be an issue for him, when he makes his mind up he usually sticks to it. He knows now that this is what contributed to his cancer and that the reoccurance rates are bad enough and he wants to push the odds a little in his favor. He never batted an eye 3 years ago when he tossed the smokes. Nor did he light back up after the Dx. I pray that's a good sign. Sorry this post got so long but it's turning out to be great therapy for me whether anyone reads it or not. Thanks again for the reassuring words and great advise about the records. I guess I'm just as afraid of what I don't know as what I do. And my own worse enemy for being an info junky. I'll learn to be still but I'll always need information. Grasping for any more hope I can find. This board can help me find the balance.


Caretaker/Longtime Girlfriend of Don. Dx 10/31/03 SCC Stage IV T2N3MO right tonsil/tongue base. Treatment began 12/9/03 = 35 IMRT weekdays/8 Chemos once weekly/Surgery late Feb 04