Well. Today I taught 5 HS Chemistry classes, complete with really neat first day EXPLOSIONS. Then taught 2 8th grade Math classes. The entire time I went over first of the year procedures, rules, and supply lists....the back of my mind knows that I will probably miss alot of this school year with them. Tomorrow after lunch, I will leave them all in the care if a substitute teacher and travel 2 hours from home to meet with the Oncologist for the first time. We will discuss treatment of this SCC on the right side of my tongue. Will I just have surgery??? What stage is it? Has it spread to my lymph nodes? Will I have a neck dissection to check? Will I need radiation and chemo? What's my prognosis? Will I see my 15 and 12 year old sons graduated from High School? College? Will I meet my grandchildren? I have many questions for tomorrow.........My mother cut her vacation short to go with my husband and me tomorrow. A third set of ears is always good. Us I will record the appt on my iPhone....never can remember everything a doctor says.

I'm covered in many prayers.....but just under my smiling surface is raging fear and anxiety. Tomorrow my life will change....tomorrow.....my battle with C begins.

Hope the appointment goes well! Keep us posted!

I am thinking of you. I know this is very scary and it is difficult to get ones thoughts sorted. Your two support people will be invaluable. Once you have a plan in place and you start treatment the mental bits do get better. You can do this.
Keep us posted and come here often for support,
Tammy

Good luck and I hope all your questions are answered to your satisfaction.

Let me give you some advice - surgery is a fairly easy do. Hopefully they will remove your nodes as a precautionary measure. Even if none show on a scan that doesn't mean there isn't microscopic cancer there. After that depending on a your path results you may have to have rads and chemo this totally blows and I am being kind - but with this type of cancer caution can cost you I'd you try to skimp on treatment. If they tell you do it - do it. Sometimes people manage to get by without rads and chemo - even a neck dissection - only to face a recurrence. HPV related cancers (base of tongue- tonsil) tend to be a whole different deal as the respond well to rads and chemo - but if your cancer is a non HPV cancer throwing the book at it the first time out can only serve to help you. Even if they do tell you they got it all - no further treatment needed, get to know what's normal for your neck and mouth and keep a close eye on it, hugs and best of luck.

Hi teacher,

Since you have a diagnosis and appt scheduled with oncology, I assume you have seen an ENT already. This person often recommends and/or directs the course of treatment. A lot of the questions you post should be answerable by the ENT.

Do you know if your case was presented to a tumor board? This group is very desirable as there are specialists from all services that might get involved with your treatment. The consensus of the group is powerful and comforting to know a lot of experts weighed in on your unique case.

Recommendations from this meeting is usually presented back to you via the ENT.

Best of luck

Ok....just now left meeting my surgical team and discussing treatment. I am scheduled for CAT SCAN and I will be having surgery on Sept. 11. The surgery will be approximately 8 hours long if all goes as planned. I will have a portion of my tongue removed. The cancer has invaded the muscle. I will have a trach tube in my neck while in the hospital. There will also be a flap of skin with a vein and artery removed from my forearm to become a reconstructed part of my tongue. Then they will take a skin graft from my upper arm to cover the place where the flap was taken. It's actually 3 surgeries by 3 surgeons at once. I will also have a neck dissection to check lymph nodes. If lymph nodes are clear.....I'm done except for periodic checks. If not, then radiation and chemo. I will stay in the hospital for a week to 10 days. Then recover at home for another 2 weeks to a month. I should still be able to talk and swallow. THANK GOODNESS!!!!! It's going to be a rocky road for awhile but the prognosis is good! 80% survival rate first 5 years. I'm Stage 2. I am very pleased with my surgical team. They all made us feel very comfortable and took the time to answer all our questions. This is routine surgery for them. Since the tumor is posterior on the side of my tongue, robotic surgery was not the best option since reconstruction cannot be done and swallowing be completely completely preserved. My head is spinning! Thanks for you advice and support. It is soooooo valuable.

Same as my surgery good luck. You'll be ok

Ask for a possey muir valve trach. It will enable you to speak easily while you have the trach.

Best wishes!!!

You have a new family now so we will be with you all along this new journey.