Dentist’s Neck Check A Lifesaver

Dear Ann Landers: My dentist saved my life. Last February, at the end of a routine checkup, he examined my neck and asked me about a lump under my jaw. I had assumed it was a swollen gland and nothing to worry about. He had other ideas and advised me to get it checked right away.

He was right. I had throat cancer, and it already had spread to my lymph nodes. I have since undergone surgery and radiation and am now on my way back to a normal life.

Very few of my friends have dentists who examine their necks during regular checkups. I am lucky to be a patient of Richard Tatum, D.D.S., of Columbia, Md. His thoroughness and expertise have added precious years to my life. - A Very Grateful Patient in Columbia

Dear Grateful: My dentist always checks my neck. You can be sure that after this column appears, thousands of dentists will be reminded by their patients to do the same. Thanks for a letter that will save lives. I love the way my readers take care of one another. Keep reading for another lifesaving message:

Dear Ann Landers: Bless you for printing that column about melanoma. My husband is only 20 and has had three surgeries to remove malignant melanomas. He will never be able to take off his shirt in the sun again, and he needs to see his oncologist every six months for the next 10 years.

Luckily, when my husband first noticed a problem, he saw a good internist who recognized melanoma when he saw it. My husband was then referred to a dermatologist who wanted to wait a month before removing it. I immediately made an appointment with a surgeon who started treatment that very day. I firmly believe that if we had waited for a month, my husband would have had a much grimmer prognosis. When the cancer was removed, it was in transition from Stage 3 to Stage 4. People with Stage 4 melanoma often don’t make it.

There is no known cure for melanoma. Please implore your readers to visit their doctors regularly and ask about any suspicious moles on their bodies, whether they are 50 years of age or 15. Cancer is no respecter of age. - Chelsea in Fresno, Calif.

Dear Chelsea: Thanks for yet another opportunity to educate my readers and possibly save some lives.

Dear Ann Landers: I had to write in response to “Indianapolis,” who is fed up with her husband’s “kidding around” as an excuse to be mean to her.

I am married to a man who constantly betrays my confidence. For years, I have had to censor every word I say to him. I can’t unload after a demanding day at work the way most couples do because I can’t trust my husband not to repeat things. However, I did think my most personal business was sacred. I’ve since discovered that he was discussing my medical history with his male co-workers, who would go home and tell their wives. I find this humiliating.

We’ve been married for 40 years. I can’t describe the despair and lost relationships caused by his big mouth. Don’t suggest counseling. We’ve been there. He’s a fool, and I am, too, for sticking around. - No Hope in Massachusetts

Dear Massachusetts: Since experience is the best teacher, I hope, from this day forward, you will not tell Mr. Loose Lips anything you would not be ashamed to have broadcast on your local TV station.