Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone is well. Just wanted to say hello and give you an update on my dad's case... My dad is back home, feeling much less depressed and I see him better everyday, he actualy is happier than before. We had the post-op meeting last friday and the pathology results from the operation say my dad's cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, the doctor said clear margins, all clear. I still feel some chest pressure as I type this message, I am feeling relieved from some heavy load. I feel so happy. We don't know if he will have radiation yet but that is okay. Step by step. I have been reading many of your stories and posts but feel shy to comment because I'm just new and have no idea of what to say, sometimes I laugh with some posts and cry with others. I wish you all the best <3 xoxo

Thats excellent news!!!! So happy that you posted an update You must be so releived that your father is doing so much better.

As far as being shy....DONT!!! You are not new anymore, you have been around since July and have at this current count made 13 posts already. We are all one big family here and would welcome your comments. Ive made many friends here and have met several in person. Being in Jersey, you may even want to join in on Susan Lauria's oral cancer walk coming up on Sept 25th in Andover. Its in honor of her brother David who was lost to this awful disease. I will be there, so will several other OCF members. If you can go, please send Susan Lauria or me a PM so we can be sure to meet

http://www.oralcancer-screening.org/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=10

Great NEWS!!!!! I love reading post like this...glad is healing so well..

Benfry - that is GREAT news about your Dad! The relief one feels at good news is almost indescribable. It's like walking on air! Please stay in touch and post your comments any time. Just say what you feel. I'm so glad things are going better and hope they continue to get better all the time.

Benfry, thanks for sharing that WONDERFUL news. I know you are totally relieved. Will your Dad be receiving any other treatments such as radiation?

BIG HUG

Dodie

That's wonderful news! I know that you all must feel a good amount of relief!

I ended up just having the surgery also.

Thank you my friends,
I'm excited to see my dad doing so well,
I delayed posting because tomorrow we will finally know if he needs radiation. Whatever it is he won't be alone. I've been talking to him about it, he really didn't want to have it at first because he is scared but he always says he will do anything he has to =). He knows a little about it because my older sister had this rare tumor retinoblastoma when she was three and she needed radiation so we put her as an example that we are lucky this treatment exists. His doctor didn't even want to touch the subject then because he sees that everything is going well so I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow and forever
Benfry

Hi Benfry, i can understand your concerns with radiation. when i was daignosed in 5/2008, i was told if you have radiation, you can never have it again should you have a re-occurance. i was diangosed with Squamous Cell, soft pallet in May 2008 - T1. i had surgery and for 15 months had nothing else. in 11/2009, i was diagnosed with Squamous under the tonge (not related to the soft pallet) again surgery as it was still just a T1. May 2010, i had one node show up with cancer. i had 1/2 neck disection. again, no radiation or chemo. August 2010, i had a spot on my epiglottis. i'm now on a trial drug with surgery in 3 weeks.

i hope you consider other optiosn before radiation. i'm still holding out for a last chance.

if you are able to get into trial drugs, you might ask about Tarceva.

God bless your family and father in these hard times.

Benfry

It's no longer true that you cannot have radiation a second time if there is a recurrence. I'm living proof of that. Plus I had the so called "maximum" the first time around of 72 GY.
The difference is now they have CyberKnife as a tool to use after standard IMRT.

If you're nervous, it's helpful to get an opinion from a CCC that is familar with the new developments in radiation. Unlike your father, I did not get clear margins with my surgery nor was my pathology report very good (perineural involvement)so the consensus was that if I did not get a second dose of radiation, the odds were that the tumor would come back a third time

Radiation is not easy but it's much better than a recurrence.
Charm

Benfry, hope you got a good report from your Dad's MD. So glad he is doing well.

HUGS

Dodie

Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your responses I can't stress enough how much I appreciate them. Thanks for the positive thoughts and wishes, they all helped us. It was also nice to find out about alternative treatments and that you can have radiation a second time. We actually got a great report from his MD, he says everything looks good. I've been affraid to type because I feel nervous my dad won't get radiation. His doctor at the CCC said he sees no need for it and that everything went well, so now he will only have check ups every 3 months. On the other hand I'm very happy for him because he looks so fine. I guess we'll keep watching him and will hope for the best. I know he is in good handsE.verything is back to normal at home, and it is even better because we know we should keep an eye on it... I guess I will be posting in coping with fear but I am really so happy with his recovery, I just can't describe to you how I feel. Thank you for being there.
Love,

Benfry

P.S. I'm looking forward to meeting other members at this saturday walk see you

GREAT NEWS Benfry! So happy for you and the whole family.
Hugs
d