Introduction from Switzerland

Hi, my name is David Jellison (hence, DaveJay).  

My wife and I moved from Denver, Colorado to Geneva, Switzerland about a year ago, in connection with my work with Siemens.  Just as my current high-pressure project came to an end, I caught up with some administrivia, and finally got that physical the Swiss Social Security system (?!) required.  I passed the physical with flying colors - ok, maybe my blood pressure was a bit high, but blood work and all other indicators were normal.  2 weeks later, around 12 Nov, in a follow up with my new doctor about my blood pressure, I showed him a lump on my neck that suddenly appeared earlier that week.

Well, several scans and appointments with a couple ENT docs later, and several weeks later, I found myself hearing the dreaded words confirming Oropharyngeal Cancer at the base of the tongue, on the left lingual tonsil.  It was about 2 cm in diameter, and the lymph nodes on the left side were affected to about golf ball sized.  Surgery was scheduled quickly at the University of Geneva Hospital (Hopitaux de Universitaires de Genève), and the ENT Surgeon removed a bunch of stuff, including the lymph nodes, most of the carotid artery and the (mumble) muscle.  (I'll get a better inventory of what went and what remains from him this Friday).  Over 8 hours of surgery - the surgeon said it was worse than they expected and that it had been there for many months.

I woke up in recovery around midnight and realized that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.  I was having trouble swallowing and breathing.  If I concentrated somewhat, I could breath easily, but if I dozed, I would choke on the saliva.  After a couple rough hours of coughing and spitting and shivers and sweats, I guess they finally knocked me out because I woke up coughing and spitting in my hospital room mid morning.  It took a couple days before I could eat and drink small amounts, but the healing went well and I was able to go home after 4 nights postop.

Fortunately, the hospital is 6 blocks from our apartment, and Sunny, my wife, was with me most of the time - she even slept one night on a cot to keep me company.

I am now recovering from the surgery at home and each day is a little better, with more and better sleep each night.  I went for a (slow) run the day before yesterday and have been doing other aerobic workouts, usually followed by a nap.

I have now discovered this site, and have been reading about the upcoming Radiation and Chemotherapy.  The treatment plan here sounds very similar to what I see others describing at Stanford and elsewhere, with 35 Radiation sessions and with 3 Chemo sessions during that time.  I'll be getting more details next week.  I now realize, from reading some of the discussions here, that recovering from surgery is nothing compared to what I will be going through in the coming months.  Yikes!

My youngest son, 22, is now visiting from Denver over the holidays, and my eldest son, 29, will be visiting at the end of January, but I doubt I will be skiing with him then.

This group seems full of information and support, and I'd like to participate, if that is okay.  I have already learned a lot, and am working my way through the materials on the Superthread.

Thanks, Dave, Cancer Survivor, in Geneva