Sammie
It's normal after major surgery to sleep, well it was for me, I think the body needs to take stock.
The max fax docs in Leicester are all brilliant, maybe thats a bit far to travel? Mail me if I can help more..
Sunshine... love and hugs
Helen

Sammie, yes, go to the UK and get treatment there or at least recommendations about radiation and chemo. fwiw, I am stage II, a smaller tongue tumor than your husbands and no nodes involved and I still got what I consider a reliable and strong rec. to have chemo and radiation after surgery. Another thing I was told is that with a large tongue tumor that is anywhere near the middle of the tongue (sounds like a 6 cm tumor might have to be?) you actually can't be entirely sure about no mets to nodes on the neck unless you have a neck dissection of some sort done on both sides.

Brian,

Thanks for the info. I am always wondering if I am ever really getting the straight story.

For example, when Harry was diagnosed, the doctor told him he had an 80% of recovery/cure/ whaterever you want to call it. I wondered about that and I went back and did my own research.

The doctor said that we had to make it through the 1st two years but he failed to mention that it is most likely to recur. That truly pissed me off.

I have not told Harry about the information I have found. I cannot see a reason at this time to give him some other piece of depressing news. But at least I know the reality of the situtaion and I am as prepared as I can be I guess.

I am not sure what size his primary tumor is/was cause I didn't know I should ask. I guess that is my next question when I see them.

Thanks again for the information. :-)

Cindy

Hi all,

From what I was told during Richards op (by his surgeon), I understand that the "c" that was on the base of his tongue growing and dying rapidly, he said it was trying to find a good blood supply but had not managed it, the dead cells had started to get infected and there was some pus, everything was "surface" (whatever that means) the right side of the tongue had a maximum invasion of 5mm (just read that from the results I asked for!)
Hope that helps clarify some stuff!
Sammie & Richard

netteq ...at this point it dosen't help you to know what WAS, only what you can do right now. Yes, the first two years are the period when recurrences happen the most frequently, but you can't do much with that info. You will always be looking for this whether you are 2 years out, or 7 years out. It will always be part of your life mentally and in the realm of follow up testing. But the past as a predictor of the future is not a firm basis for your actions. My dad was a pilot in 3 wars. I have a picture of the inside of his cockpit during WW2, and on the panel is a little note stuck there that says " Eternal vigilance, or eternal rest." While a strong statement, it applies to your recalls in the future.