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Inside the Forbidden City, Beijing, China. Fall of '08  
 


FAQ

Why did I have surgery first?
This is the #1 question, so I asked my ENT. They thought the cancer was coming from my tonsil, but they weren't 100% sure. So the tonsil removal was partly exploratory. The lymph node in my neck was removed because of its size and it had a neoplasm (I had to go look it up) that radiation and chemo would not kill. He also said I was an atypical case. Leave it to me to abnormal :)

How do I feel today?
I'm over two years out and I'd say I'm about 90% in all areas. Ice cream still tastes bad, but that's about it. My ENT said it was probably because of the fat content. I thought it was sugar and I wasn't tasting, but then I noticed some sweet things were good again. Dr. Ferguson (ENT Surgeon) was the one telling me things would get better and he was right. I'd say I was pretty happy with things after a year, but I've seen a lot of improvement. At this point it almost like it never happened (knock wood).

What would I do differently?
I'd get the PEG tube sooner and try to take fewer pain meds.


   
 
   
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