I've been absent from this forum for far longer than I intended. I was wanting to make a celebration post back in August when I hit my 10 year cancer free point, but life's distractions got the better of me. Today when the feelings started hitting hard I knew where I had to go.
When I joined this group ten years ago I was one of the younger patients at 29 years old, but a month later on this forum I met the family of an 18 year old who had the same diagnosis. Today marks the 9 year anniversary of her passing. So much has changed for me in those years. I now have 3 wonderful children, changed jobs a couple times, climbed the corporate ladder a bit at my current job. I feel like I'm in a good place in life, and she didn't get to experience any of it. They say grief comes in waves, but I was not expecting this tsunami today. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for here, maybe just a sounding board of people that would understand. Anyway, thanks for reading and the solidarity.
Dan
Stage 4 SCC on right underside of tongue
DX on 7/19/13 at age 29, no tobacco, light drinking
Partial Glossectomy/reconstruction/neck disection 8/20/13 Temp Trach, PEG tube
4/59 lymph nodes cancerous, 1 with extracapsular extension
Chemo - Cisplatin - 3 treatments started on 10/01/13 Radiation - 33 treatments started on 10/02/13
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