Here's the deal:
In October 2001, I developed a sore throat that wouldn't go away. I guess
I waited two/three weeks before going to our family practitioner. He, being
an Arkansas hillbilly, looked into my throat - and said "damn, what the hell
is that?!"
Well, after a biopsy, the diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma of the uvula, that little finger that hangs down at the back of the throat. Treatment regimen, with
my agreement, was 7 weeks of radiation therapy. After about 1-1/2 weeks of radiation, we did a CT-scan and discovered that there were two lymph nodes in the neck area involved. So at that time, the radiation field was enlarged to include the nodes. So we went thru the 37 radiation treatments. That was awful.
Ok, we're to the end of January 2002. Everything seems to be ok, 'cept I still can't eat. Lost 68 lbs.
Comes April, the ENT surgeon sees something he doesn't like. Does a biopsy,
and guess what! It's BACK! In early April, they remove my uvula and a good portion of the soft/hard palette.
Summer was really nice. We have an RV on the Lake of the Ozarks, and I spent every weekend there.
In August another gray spot showed up, and I lost more of my soft palette. Then came November and another spot. They first did a biopsy, tried to get it all, but discovered they hadn't. So back to surgery again in November.
The pain from the surgery wouldn't go away so I ended up under the CT scan again. This just raised questions, which led to the MRI, which led to a needle biopsy while under the CT scan, which led last week to major surgery on the left side of my neck.
Net result is that I still have SCC, and that it has gotten into the base of my skull. Dr. says they can't go after it there because of the carotid artery and the jugular vein.
So, again, I'm new - not to cancer, regrettably - but to this site. I will certainly appreciate your help, your thoughts, your prayers, and most of all your suggestions and advice. Doctors don't know it all, do they?
Joe M.