Hi Danny,
I just completed 33 rounds of radiation today and I still have my voice and the pain is not unbearable. My skin came through it with a sunburn and not oozing and weeping -it's already peeling with pink healthy skin coming out. Typically I am consuming, orally, about 2000 calories a day. I can't see any reason why I won't be eating solid foods of some sort in a month or less. IMHO there is a world of difference between IMRT and XRT, particularly the outcome. They told me that I will also retain 2 salivary glands also. The techs commented today on how my experience was so much better than many that they treat - I really don't have any answers for that -other than faith and prayer were part of my program also.

Gary Stage III, SCC, right tonsil

Dan-Q,

Just to let you know, there are some people on the site that have survived without the RAD or the Chemo. I had 1/3 of my tongue removed, the bottom of my mouth rebuilt and a modified radical neck dissection. My lymph nodes were negative and I did not have any additional treatments after the initial surgery. That was 2 1/2 years ago. In the beginning I went to both of my surgeons for a check up every month, I'm now down to 4 times a year and all is well. If you go to the directory you can pull up some of my old posts where I go into more detail. By the way, I still have all of the confidence in the world in both of my doctors, it hasbeen that way since the day I met them. Let me tell you, that is really important.

Best of luck. If you would like to email me for more information, please feel free.

Take care.

Anne.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for writing, at first this website scared me a little but i'm really starting to dig it, in some soft focus, after school special kind of way. Got the ct scans back and lymph nodes were a little enlarged on the right side but the doc expected that and they are coming out anyway and they will check them all then. They did notice a really small "something" on my lung and recommended another ct scan in 3 months, doc said could be anything, don't get crazy, so i'm taking that advice. I had a pet scan too (booooooooorrrrrriiiiiiing) I'll get those results next week and see what colors I am.

peas,
dan

Hi everyone,

I related to Dan's message except I am not the newbie- he is my father. My father was just recently diagnosed with Stage II oral cancer. He is having a PET scan tommorow and already had a CT & x-ray. From what they have seen so far it has not spread. He is waying his options now and the Doc's have given him a choice of radiation or surgery. The radiologists seem to think they can "GET IT" with hust radiation, my concern is if that don't work will surgery be much more difficult after the radiation. Any one out there who has had one or the other or both please let me know your thoughts on them. Thank You
PS

Hey Dan - my husband JC just had 38 lymph nodes removed and his right tonsil - what bothered him the most was the tonsil. the neck dissection was a piece of cake for him and has come thru that with flying colors - he has full range when it comes to turning his neck from side to side and that was 3 weeks after the surgery.....if it werent for the darn tonsil.....(the tonsil was clean i might add)

Dan,
I have never had surgery so I cannot speak about it much. However I can say that radiation and its after effects are a bitch. Sometimes I feel kind of like it is equivalent to burning down part of the barn to get rid of the rats. If I could have surgery that was not disfiguring instead of radiation, I would make that choice in a minute. Although the radiation got rid of my tumor and nodes without surgery or disfigurement, the swallowing problems, dry mouth, and in my case esophageal problems that I have experienced are very unpleasant and worth avoiding if possible.
Best of luck,
Danny G.

well this is it, that's every pair of shoes in the place. I'm off to pre surge now and my surge got moved up to tomorrow. it's weird feeling fine and feeling that your walking into a car wreck at the same time. wacky. i'll post again in a few days. think of me tomorrow counting backwards from 100. yipe!

thanks again for the posts, you guys really help!

dan-q

Good luck - our thoughts are with you!!

Hey Everyone,

I'm back from surgery. Talking funny and incredibly sick of mushy food, but feeling pretty well. Today was one of the first day's I was able to skip pain killers. I still need them at night but I'm guessing in about a week I should be off those things. Anyway wow, none of the lymph nodes were cancerous so I don't need any chemo or radiation which i'm really glad about. Surgery went smooth, the peak pain came a good 5 or 6 days after. My tongue was just getting covered with this kind of scab and man was it painful to rinse out. whew. I still talk pretty funny but it's coming along.

dan

Dan, Great to hear that the surgery went well and that the lymph nodes were not cancerous!! I'm so happy for you. Have they told you what's next, or will they just be monitoring everything closely, since you don't need the chemo and radiation? Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm glad you are doing well - and good wishes for continued success in the future!