Well, after my initial introduction it's quickly changed to a time to say farewell.

The local hospital pathologist sent my lymph node to a regional cancer center in Edmonton, Alberta for a second opinion. After a week and a half of no results my surgeon spoke with someone at the Edmonton center and was told that they had ruled out all the nasty possibilities, such as SCC, and that they were now down to a diagnosis of either benign tumour or a form of lymphoma. After some in depth reading of these forums I can't begin to express how happy I am despite the spector of malignancy still hanging over my head. Generally speaking of course, the treatment and prospects of cure or long term remission seem much better for many of the lymphomas. I did learn a lot from these forums and have made two immediate changes in my lifestyle (not to mention quitting smoking a couple weeks ago); I no longer chew the inside of my cheeks and I've discarded the Plax dental prerinse I've been using for years due to the alcohol content.

I really wish all of you the best in your battle to overcome your cancers.

Mike