First Visit to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa

So I had my first actual visit to Moffitt and the first face-to-face meeting with my oncologist, Dr. Kristen Otto.  She seems really smart, confident, and capable and I have real good feelings about the treatment coming up.


First, a little background.  I'm assuming that most of you who are reading this know my family history, but I'll fill in those of you who may be uninitiated.  The ultimate irony is that 10 years ago next month, my then 21-year old son, David, was diagnosed with melanoma, or skin cancer, the disease that would take him from us 9 months later.  So, I am, for good or ill, familiar with the terminology and familiar with spending time in cancer wards.  For that reason, I'm thinking that this whole experience is a little less daunting for me than it may have been otherwise.


But, back to the present.  Today, they reconfirmed the initial diagnosis of tongue cancer, took a biopsy to determine more of the nature of the disease, and discussed the preliminary plan of attack, which, barring any surprises, will consist of radiation and chemotherapy, most likely beginning in about two weeks.  The time up until then will be filled with other preliminaries and, hopefully, some rest time to get my strength up to withstand the treatments.


On Monday, I will get a full PET Scan to determine if the disease has metastasized and on Wednesday they will insert a feeding tube to get me through the period of the treatment when eating will be nigh near impossible.


The really good thing is that I've know for 4 - 5 months now that something was not quite right.  At least now, the disease has a name.  Yeah, I'd rather its name was something like 'Fred' or 'Zelda', but it is what it is.


I will be taking off at least the next three months from work, and I will miss the people there.  Many of them were there for me 10 years ago and they are one leg of my support team of family and friends.  My wife Elaine has been an absolute rock for me, as I know, oddly enough, there will be times I'll be hers. 


There can never be too many rocks in our lives.


Peace and love to all,


Joe