| Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 945 | Jade, make sure you are as well-organized and professional as possible. You do not want an adversarial encounter, you want her on your side.
Begin with a complement of some sort.
Move to your WRITTEN list of symptoms and concerns. Leave space between them for her answers/comments.
A fair question is, "how many oral cancer patients are you seeing on a regular basis." You also need to determine if she has a differential diagnosis of the long lasting symptoms.
Best of luck on Friday! Maria
CG to husband - SCC Tonsil T1N2M0 HPV+ Never Smoker First symptoms 7/2010, DX 12/2010 TX 40 IRMT (1.8 gy) + 10 Cetuximab PET Scans 6/2011 + 3/2012 clear, 5 year physical exam clear; chest CT's clear of cancer. On thyroid pills. Life is good.
| | | | Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 | Hi, thanks for the reply.
Fingers crossed you are right. My doctor is pretty understanding and knows I get a tad worried about my health, so hopefully it should take too much to convince her to give me a referral. I've not tried actually outright asking her for a referral yet, so may e that's all I need to do.
My dentist said he doesn't think the swelling is anything sinister, and thinks maybe I grind my teeth at night as I'm getting toothache on and off in my back teeth. He said I probably caught my tounge. I'm just worried as it seems too far back to be able to bite that part of my tongue and its been like it has for 5 weeks+ now.
No diagnosis as of yet. 20 year old female, do not smoke or chew, very very rarely drink and then only in extreme moderation, HPV-.
| | | | Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 | Hi there, I do actually have a list of my symptoms somewhere, seeing as most of them come and go, I'm worried I'll forget something when I see her. I'll go find it and write it down as you said, that sounds like a really good idea, thanks  .
No diagnosis as of yet. 20 year old female, do not smoke or chew, very very rarely drink and then only in extreme moderation, HPV-.
| | | | Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP "OCF across the pond" Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2013 Posts: 44 | I've now noticed a red mark on the roof of my mouth, at the back on left left have side. It looks like its just a normal part of my mouth, but it's not as I know it hasn't been there before and it's a bit sore.
No diagnosis as of yet. 20 year old female, do not smoke or chew, very very rarely drink and then only in extreme moderation, HPV-.
| | |
Forums23 Topics18,249 Posts197,138 Members13,323 | Most Online1,788 Jan 23rd, 2025 | | | |