Only surgery from now on?

Oh Larry I’m so sorry to read your news. Hopefully your surgeons can do a good job in fixing this for you. 

Larrykins said:

I can't believe that no progress has been made in all this time. I understand the radiotherapy part because of the risks of re-irradiation but is surgery really where it stops?

Yes chemotherapy, immunotherapy and the newer cancer vaccines are only palliative. 
You could ask your oncologist about CAR-T. There are some investigations into HNSCC. 
Best wishes. 

Thanks for the answer Dani. I wasn't going to ask the next question, palliative, how does that work? But I have asked it. 

I know we are all different and all that jazz but I believe that's end of life care? Or can it be an ongoing thing..over months or years I mean?

Palliative means relieving symptoms. It doesn’t mean end of life but palliative strategies are used at that time. Immunotherapy is a palliative treatment for example. Some people do exceptionally well surviving for years. I know somebody who has been getting Nivolumab for five years. 
Hugs

Awesome, thank you. 

Been told not to seek Dr Google so do excuse the dumb question. 

First things first though. Get through the operation and recover. Day by day. One thing at a time. Was getting ahead of myself.

I guess I'm suffering from some form of trauma. The last T4N1 operation I had was only in March this year. And now a new tumour in a different spot so soon. I can remember everything about my last experience and this time I am getting super anxious. 

I don't want to wake up restrained and unable to breathe. To go through the painful recovery. To deal with some pretty nasty nurses (and lovely ones). Also, this time, I will not have my German SO with me in Germany, advocating and translating for me. She needs to go back to work as soon as I wake up. 

So far, I just hear poor me me me in this post :) 

Forgive me, but I'm really angry and feeling sorry for myself this time.

I'm forgetting the main thing though. I have a chance, so many other do not. My time will come, but not today. Not on Monday either. 

Stream of consciousness over. Thank you for being there. This helps. May your God bless.

Larry…. No questions are dumb. Maybe only the unvoiced ones that lead to your imagination running away with you. 
Of course you’re angry. Who on earth wouldn’t be having been dealt the cards you have? I can only picture in my mind how all this must seem and how much despair can creep in when you least expect it, when you think you’re in top of it all. 
Day at a time and you’ll get there. It’s all you can do. 
I remember a lady here who kept getting cancers popping up all over the place and her doctors finally discovered she had some genetic mutation that was causing it. 
Maybe you could explore that with your doctors. I’ll look back through her posts for you to see what happened 

More  hugs

Oh and remember… there’s always somebody here to talk to. 

Ah just found her St Bernard Lady 

Alas her mutation led to skin cancers. It’s still worth asking. There may be something else they can offer. 

Hi Larrykins just wanted to say hi Dani has covered everything. Just remember you’re not on your own 

Good luck for Monday 

Hazel 

Good evening L, sorry to be reading this, i know what its like to have a re-occurrence as it happened to me three times and i used my limit of radiotherapy after my first operation, I'm not sure if I can have any more chemo as i had three doses during my radiotherapy. The good news is that i was offered my last chance of surgery in 2010 when i had my voicebox removed and i have never looked back as i have been cancer-free ever since. Although i cannot speak i have adapted to my new way of life, i think in 13 years there has been a lot of progress in the way operations are performed with good results. Its always a worry but i try to remain as positive as possible, i wish you all the best for the operation and hope all goes to plan, take care.

                                                                                       Chris.

Thank you again Chris. Sorry for your loss but then happy for your outcome. Christ, we go through such hell and yet turn to help each other in spite of everything. 

When you're going through hell, keep going as a wiser man than I said. 

Thank you Raz! It's not me in charge of saving my life at least. Its my surgeons. That would be nerve wracking!