Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Welcome to OCF. Here you will find tons of helpful info. Its a great idea for you to accompany your father to his appointments. Take a notepad and write down your questions along with the answers so you can remember.
As far as supplements go, do not start giving him anything until you check with his doctor. That could be your excuse to get him to allow you access to his appointments. Some vitamins arent helpful at all, but that could only be for those of us who had chemo and radiation. Im not sure so really cant advise you on that. As far as something out there that fights off cancer, I dont have faith in that being available. A balanced diet is the best I can tell you. Attitude is something I also believe in, being positive will help him.
You may want to ask if the margins were clear and how big they were. That means around the tumor if the doc got all the cancer. Check if he needs to do any mouth exercises. How often he will need to get rechecked. What kind of doctor has treated your father? Was this at a Comprehensive Cancer Center? Your Father in law has struggled for 8 years with oral cancer? I would be concerned at how and where he is being treated.
I wish you and both your father and father in law the best with their struggles. ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive |