don sublett

Cancer categorized as “Head-and-Neck” does not get the attention that it should. While not in the category of “most common” cancers, it is among the most debilitating and deadly. Head-and-Neck Cancer is very difficult to detect and to diagnose. That is why it is almost always advanced—either Stage 3 or Stage 4—when diagnosed. Mine was Stage 4.

Head-and-Neck Cancer is described as “insidious,” and is, in the opinion of many medical professionals, unarguably the most painful of any cancers to treat. The painful nature of the treatment is due to the massive amount of radiation introduced into the oral cavity, throat, larynx, and esophagus, often destroying the mucosa, and ultimately leaving the mouth and throat an excruciatingly painful, raw and bloody mess. The pain is almost never completely eliminated by even the most powerful painkillers, such as morphine or Fentanyl.

Chemotherapy was an adjunct to my primary treatment, which was radiation. Radiation treatment to the head-and-neck area destroys the mucosa, taste buds, saliva glands, and compromises one’s ability to swallow. The cancer and its treatment often also cause some of the most morbid surgeries a person can undergo—surgeries which cause nightmarish degradation to one’s quality of life.

While undergoing cancer treatment, I chronicled my experience by sending e-mail notes, initially, to a small group of family and friends. My initial intimate sharing mushroomed, because many of them, in turn, shared those notes far-and-wide. Many who received my notes told me, “Don, you have a story to tell. I hope you will write a book about your experience and include your e-mail updates!”

This is the story of my fight with Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) at the base of the tongue, which had metastasized into the neck. The journey began with what was thought, at the time, to be a swollen lymph node in the neck, to being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and on through rigorous, simultaneous treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, to surgery and the culmination of where I am today.

My story is an “in-the-moment” description of the emotional roller coaster that anyone with advanced cancer experiences. There are those high, low, and in-between moments that typify a person’s coping with what, at Stage 4, is most often an eventual death sentence.

Mine was a journey during which I was accompanied by a host of friends, family, and even strangers, who nurtured and encouraged me by their responses to my notes. You will see just a sampling of those notes of encouragement received, along with my responses to their supportive messages.

Ultimately, I believe you will learn one of the most powerful lessons of all when it comes to encountering one of life’s most difficult challenges: facing death. It is a lesson that will be of benefit to anyone. It is a lesson in faith, hope, and the power of prayer.