I have a good friend, who has a friend, who has another friend, that works for our local newspaper. They are working at getting them to do a story about me. A Human Interest kind of thing.

Certainly, I will share my story. But the real reason that I am interested in talking with them is to bring awareness to "our" kind of cancer.

Since I am very new to this family, I would appreciate your input on what points I should push. I have learned a lot from this site already. I know that making people aware is the real priority. Since I think most of us know what a story such as this ends up like in the paper, I would like to know which are the most important facts that people would like to get out there. I am certain that a lot of what I would say will end up edited out, but I want to make sure to tell them that I won't do in at all, unless the can assure me that they would keep "?????" in.

Now I am not 100% certain that this article will happen, I am thinking that the likelihood is pretty high.

What are your thoughts?

Happy New Year Everyone!

Amy

Hi Amy,

I asked Jack and he said he'd like people to know that not all head and neck cancer is due to excessive drinking or smoking. I think he is pretty tired of having people assume that. His tumor is due to the HPV 16 virus and there's not enough information on that connection.

This is a silent killer and there are not always warning signs until it reaches a late stage, plus some presentations are atypical - that's why routine oral examinations and cancer screenings are critical.

I really hope that the article gets written, thanks for asking our thoughts.

Regards JoAnne

Get the article to stress #1. going to a dentist regularly =[one who does a thorough check for suspicious mouth problems] is really important. #2. Any change in your mouth noticed by you should be immediately looked at by a good dentist. #3. Never assume that "canker sore" or sore throat will just go away because it may not be what you think it is. In the case of Head and Neck cancer, an ounce of pervention is worth 10,000 lbs. of cure! Amy

That is a really good point. I am a former smoker. My Oncologist said that the cancer I have is NOT caused by smoking, even though I was a smoker for several years.

In Jack's case, it wasn't even a possibility. That's important stuff. I think too many people think that if you don't smoke, you are not going to get a cancer that is so commonly associated with tobacco.

Just as a side note: it really ticks me off when people have the attitude "they deserved it because they smoked". I watched a good friend die from Lung Cancer and a lot of people that should have been supporting him had this mind set. NOBODY, I mean NOBODY deserves to have cancer. People do make poor choices, I am included in this. But still, cancer? I don't think so.

Thank you JoAnne. And please thank Jack too.

Happy New Year to you both.

Amy

JAM,

Another good point. Maybe I should add a point about how if you think something is "off", you shouldn't necessarily trust what you are hearing. Remember, I was sold a $17 bottle of mouthwash to cure what ailed me.

If you have something going on in your mouth and it doesn't go away, you should really PUSH, PUSH, PUSH for more tests.

Thank you so much. I am thinking that this article will become a reality soon, I want to get the stuff that is important out there, people need to know this stuff.

Amy Jo

The issues are in this article, hopefully it will give you a condensed background to work from

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/8/t/000082.html

Hi Amy,

This is a link to a local newspaper article written about me a few months after I got back to work.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-07172005-515499.html

Hope that you find it useful and good luck in getting your story published. I was amazed as to how many people told me that they read it.

Happy New Year.

Jerry

Dear Amy.....and everybody. Thanks so much for posting these resources in one place. Jerry and Brian have done us all a tremendous service in providing us with quality, up-to-date, scientific facts that we can use in various ways. I, also, am concerned with finding the most useful way to "use" my experiences to help others. It occurs to me that ANY of us can use this information for public good by simply writing a letter to the editors of our local newspapers, even if you don't have the opportunity like Amy has for an article to be written about your experiences. In a letter, you have more control over what is published, and you can use the information found in the links above. That would get the information out to LOTS of people that wouldn't have heard it before.

Good news. I talked to the editor of our local paper today. She is going to do a story on me and I am meeting with her on Monday. They have an "in Depth" feature each month. The gal that I spoke to has the month of June to do her "in depth" article and she wants to use me for it. I am planning to do the oral cancer walk in Chicago in June and she felt like this timing would give us the biggest bang for our buck.

I am really excited for the opportunity to help out this cause. I, like others I have seen, have had some guilt feelings. Like my cancer wasn't so bad, so what am I complaining about. I am turning these feelings around and hoping to make something positive come of it.

I am checking everyday for info on the June walk. I am really excited about it. I hope that I can meet some of you there. I won't be able to make NYC in April. Hopefully I won't be alone in June.

Take good care,

Amy

Amy --

Rather than feel guilty that "my cancer wasn't so bad," spin it like this for the reporter: "Early detection saves lives. I'm living proof!"

Jerry --

That article was nicely done!

All the best,

Leslie