Hiya Gaffo. Thanks for your info...It makes me feel less alone to hear that young people do get scc's (yep-under 40 is young!) I have had surgery 3x this year(not sure if it was this special kind of surgery or not) I will see my Onco Dr next Friday and will chat to him about it. I think it will be full steam ahead for radiotherapy at this stage. I start my 7 weeks of summer face bbq-ing next Monday:-) I should have a red forehead for Christmas day! Thanks and take care-will keep posting here during my treatment. P.S. I recommend the Cancer helpline+++ they are great support and help     ... View more

Hi Mark, I am new in the cancer game too. Had my surgery and radiotherapy which finished ~ 3 months ago. People have offered me tacet advice such as "no-one knows how long they have, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow etc" but this can sound cheap and unhelpful and can invalidate my fear of not being around to see my friends kids grow up or if I have kids, the same fear. Cancer and survival is tough. I am coping by travelling around Oz with my partner for 4 months(distraction from cancer stuff), but I am scared of going back home for the first post Treatment scans and oncology appt. Try to fill up your life again with fun,work, stuff you did before cancer. Counselling is also helpful-as is meeting other people going thru a similar experience if adjusting to the post treatment phase. Take Care, Rarbie ... View more

Thanks Gaffo, We are in the whitsundays-pretty cool place to recover from cancer I think! I may have to start a foundation when I get back home to fundraise for all cancer people to have a pre-paid holiday here post treatment!!!!! Thanks for your kind words of support and hello to all the new people-amazing increase in people here! :+) Rarbie ... View more

Hi Mikey and Gaffo, I have had 15 fractions of 40 and feeling pretty chipper today. I hit a low earlier in the week and it was tough-but backinto life once again. I am still meditating and visualising and affirming a healthy me! My diet has slipped abit-food as a reward has been imprimpted into me as a child. Doh! And according to the DR's I will lose my sense of taste due to the head radiotherapy-so I am making the most of tasting my food while I can! Yesterday in the local paper was a list of all the best eating places in Perth and this weekend I am going to check some of them out! I am glad to be back to living life to the full. Does anyone know what makes some people more vulnerable to geting cancer young (young=under 40!)??? Thanks for your ongoing support guys, I still am curious as to the lack of interest on this part of the site.  went to my first head and neck cacner support group a few weeks ago and they were great-but i forgot to mention this site. Doh! ... View more

Hi guys, any tips for not worrying between post treatment scans? Ta, Rarbie ... View more

33 yr old with a forehead SCC that has metatastatised into my parotid and neck lymph nodes Hi Everyone, I am having surgery on tues 18th Dec to get rid of 'the nasties'. It is a 6 hour operation and I will be in hospital for 5-7 days. I am scared of surgery. the only operation I have had in my life is my wisdom teeth out! (17 years ago!) I am scared about what I will look like afterwards as I will have a skin graft on my face to remove the primary facial squamous cell carcinoma, plus the scarring on my neck! Anyone young with head and neck cancer- I would love to hear from you and how you coped with the body image stuff? Thanks Rarbie   ... View more

Thanks Gaffo - I think here in Perth they have a lookbetter-feel better campaign which I will link in with after radiotherapy has finished. This summer I will wear a forehead bandana with my red hair! (At least I don't haVve to lose my hair-at this stage no chemo is planned) Thanks for your best wishes. We are going to watch a comedy tnite to get our minds off tomorro. I will post again when I am out. Calling all young people with head and neck cancer_ You and I can't be the only 2 under 40's who are going through this in a country of 21 million!!! 🙂 ... View more

Thanks Gaffo, We are in the whitsundays-pretty cool place to recover from cancer I think! I may have to start a foundation when I get back home to fundraise for all cancer people to have a pre-paid holiday here post treatment!!!!! Thanks for your kind words of support and hello to all the new people-amazing increase in people here! :+) Rarbie ... View more