Hi All. My name is Larry. I had squamos cell carcinoma in my neck in 2009. The VA oncologist said that surgery is too invasive so I had 35 radiation treatments. I was cancer free for 16 years. In Jan 2025 I had a 1/4 inch lump on my neck behind my ear. My primary care at the VA thought it was a cyst. Three months later it was the size of a US quarter. Primary care sent me to an ENT in the community , appointment 4 months later . After 3 months it was an open sore. My dermatologist said he could drain it one week before the ENT appointment . I agreed . At the ENT appointment she refused to treat me because someone else had drained it. I needed to find another ENT. That appointment was in 2 months. The tumor behind my ear had been growing for almost one year. The surgery to remove the tumor was more involved than the doctor thought it would be. It went from behind my ear to below my larynx. He didn't get all the cancer.
The surgery was in March 2025 and left one side of my face paralized because he cut a nerve . When I asked him what he could do he said I would need to learn to live with it ! I had an oozing wound on my neck after surgery that became infected. After antibiotics it stopped leaking and formed a hard scab. I still have a hard scab after 10 months. My eye does not close and becomes dry and very sore. It affects my sight and ballance. My mouth does not close all the way making eating very difficult. After surgery my dentures no longer fit in my mouth. I needed to get new dentures. I am waiting for an appointment with an immunotherapist. I no longer trust doctors!
Since I had cancer in 2009 I think my primary care at the VA should have caught the cancer long before she did. The tumor grew and spread for almost one year befor the botched surgery.
Cancer doesn't wait while you are waiting for an appointment ! Get 2 or 3 2nd opinions and stay in their face.