OK folks, here I am-and THANK YOU!
Hello all,
Let me first say thank you to all for your prayers and support. It was what is called a squamous cell skin cancer on the underside of my tongue. This kind IS malignant, but ISN'T necessarily the fast-moving type. I caught it early and it was small (under a half inch around). The doc (as tkrexx said, a very cute blonde named Jennifer), took it out and took biopsies of the back of my tongue and throat, which hurt more than my tongue does. She put a graft from my thigh on the hole under my tongue (at least the didn't come from my butt!). I'll know more monday. I'll have monthly doctor visits for a year, but hopefully, it's all over. The hardest part was quitting smoking, the nicotine gum tasted like crap, but it helped. I urge all of our friends that still smoke to stop! I've been on a codeine/tylenol cocktail for 3 days now, but it didn't work very well so I stopped taking it last nite. There's a bottle of good Irish whisky chilling in the freezer (thinking of you Steve!) and a case of beer in the fridge which I will indulge in tonight! My attitude about the situation is best expressed in my story-writing style:
Astride his horse, the officer surveyed the mounted troopers to his left and right, then looked into the valley below. He knew what to expect, as well as what must be done. Turning to his First Sergeant on his left, he raised his saber. "Bugler, sound the charge!" The enemy would soon feel his sword...
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