[livingwith]

I was diagnosed with Stage IV Parotid (which has already spread to my neck, jaw bone, ear, and skull area )Cancer back in 2003. After a 16 hour surgery and 3 weeks in ICU, I underwent an agressive Chemo and Radiation session for 38 straight days. Present day 2007 I am alive and kickn buttie. Although still living with the after effects like, constant thirst, bone aches from the chemo and losing my entire right ear canal, I am finding the balance with it all. Although I do get paranoid when I fe...Read the full article

[seaglass]

I was diagnosed with parotid cancer at age 36 and that was in 2001. I did not have insurance and was a single mom. I was not working as I had to give up my cleaning business due to severe anemia. i had found the lump myself while watching TV in Feb 2000. Over, several months i watched it. Then in December of 2000 it had grown. I applied for medicaid in january but did not receive an operation until the end of September. The Dr. was a joke. He misread the frozen section and when it came back from miami it was malignant. well, I freaked. I did end up getting a very good surgeon in Miami. I guess they were afraid of a law suit BUT as anyone in that position, you just want to live not sue. i got the surgery in Dec 2001, It would take pages to say what I went through.... so i won't. But the Dr and i agreed to observation not radiation. It was contained and my margins were clear. I only saw the Dr for 2 years as i lost the medicade (sp) anyway, I went without MRI'S 5 years. I found a nodule on my left side this year 2008... very small.. on the other side and on the neck. I found a place I could pay cash for a MRI and got it at a fraction the insurance charges???? Why is that? well, From what i read, on the evaluation it does not show anything. But i feel it. i now live in Tn and have to fly back to Miami to my Dr. there to find out on Aug 15th. I am so scared. I have pain with it but i have been checking and it has not grown. I did see an ENT a couple times during that 5 years just to check.They said you don't have insurance and I see nothing so forget it. It is amazing our health care system. It is so awful. I think i should have had a full body PET or something. I have an individual plan now. I hope covers the visit this time. I can't go through this again. I Never smoked or drank so i am a really rare case. I read pete's story and yes i drink tons of water and get sore throats easy / ear infections. I loose it when I am sick. I don't think you ever stop thinking of it. But it is amazing what you went through. i am so glad you are ok. I hope that I do not have to do anything But I'm not expecting that. I hope it is at least benign. Maybe removed easily. I guess I can just hope. I will know something soon. The wait is total stress. I just stumbled upon this website and saw pete's story and felt bad no one wrote to him to say Hey, I have been there and we are amazing people because we did it and are still here. Michelle