greetings to all, i'd like to say that this being my first post here, thank you to each and everyone of you. i have been reading the forums the past 2 days, and have learned so much from you. the pain and suffering, the compassion, the support for each other, the good doctor here i see always putting peoples mind at ease, and pasting links to sites that inform us so much. not just an ordinary doctor, but outstanding.

i've come here to also ask some questions, at this moment i am smoking my last cigarette, i've smoked 21 yrs, i am 37 yrs old ( birthday was just yesterday, fun? NOT! i feel so old

i know its gonna be tough, probably will fail, i'm not a dreamer, i'm a realist, but i will never stop trying, no matter how hard it gets.

so, i guess my problem today is, i always feel around in my mouth for things, looking to see if anything is """abnormal""", gums, lips, cheeks, tongue etc, what i noticed about two days ago, was at the very corner of your inner lower lip on the left side even closer to the cheek, i feel like a """raised""" feeling, not a lump, its no bigger then a grain of rice but a bit rounder, even the thickness, its the same color as the lip/cheek, and looking at it in the mirror, it doesnt seem visible to the naked eye, it feels very soft, in fact when looking at it, it seems like its just the part of the lip on the side that joins to your inner cheek.

so i asked friends if they can feel stuff in their lips and cheeks, some agree, some dont feel anything. i remember a doctor once explaining what consists of in the lips and cheeks, but, i forgot heh, i do remember we have veins or tissue liek this along with 100's of small salivary glands etc.

if anyone could answer with info about what this might be, and confirm things like this exist in the lips/cheek area would be greatly appreciated, and also i am very curious of the people(and god bless you for your strength and courage that i have read on a few of you) if you were smokers also or not. thank you for all your time, and peace to all of you.

Hello Skidrow

You are probably describing and feeling the modiolus near the corner of the lip:

Lips may also be moved indirectly by nine (or more) other facial muscles (e.g., by zygomaticus major in laughing) through attachments to a fibromuscular mass known as the modiolus where so many facial muscles interlink via the modiolus makes our lips extremely expressive of attitudes, opinions, and moods.

Feeling better now?

:soapbox: Keep off the ciggies!

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

thank you doctor, again also thank you for your awesome help to so many of the users on this forum. yes i do feel a little bit relieved in a sense, i always worry cause i dont know the major symptoms of mouth (head n neck?) cancers, i imagine we all have lumps and bumps in our mouths. i guess my final question on this matter would be, do people get lumps particulary in the area i described that are malignant, is there something textbook we should definetely look out for and or see or notice that would warrent a concern for possible cancer?

thank you

Hi Skidrow

Mouth cancers at the inner corner of the mouth tend to be found in smokeless tobacco chewers. So, not that common a site in the UK. It is commonly seen in India as shown in Dr Suwas Darvekar's oral cancer website. :alert: Warning - the photographs of advanced disease aren't pleasant viewing!

Our website's Patient's Guide>Prevention page will teach you what to look out for.

Best wishes
Vinod :coffee:

Welcome skidrow despite your 'cheeerful' name! You aren't really7 on it are you? Anyway if you are at least you are in Toronto which must be so beautiful in autumn.
My son, Magnus, same age as you, stopped smoking six months ago, and, grace a Dieu because he couldn't have done it himself!, hasn't touched one since.
He was a master smoker. Admitted to 40 a day butI'd say more. He did it with the help of Nicorette, you know that nicotime gum, but has stopped that now.
Another thing he did, such was his resolve, was to change jobs to freelancing on his own rather than be surrounded by fellow-smokers all leaping off to the pub at lunch-time.
I am very proud of him and so, needless to say, are his wife and two young children. But qwe have NEVER nagged him about it or asked him how it's going. We have just been specially sugary to him and made his favourite curries and so on. Trouble wityh thyat6 is of course that after a good meal you always feel lke a cigarette....
But that passes. He really follows a Twelve Step like an alcoholic as the same sort of resolve and handing over is needed.
I'm not preaching by the way. I used to smoke Churchmans untipped--don't kniw if they make them now but oh boy they were not for the faint-hearted! And French Gitanes too.
I'm quite sure it wz their legacy, and a liking for lots of good wine which helped me on the road to throat cancer five years ago.
Keep in touch. Hope your cancer worries are unfounded. You'll be around for a while yet I feel!
Ishbel

thank you again Dr Vinod, your speedy replies on this forum are really nice. ok i understand a little more of this dreaded disease, my heart goes out to all of you here, i can't even imagine the nightmares you people went through from diagnosis to treatment etc, Ishbel, thank you for that encouraging post/reply about your son, yes, i didnt do it today """cold turkey""" as i knew i wouldnt, but did manage to cut it in 1/2. and believe it or not i bought a package of nicorette chewing gum just hours before i read your reply. i will start these tommorow, and for you, god bless you, hope everything is going ok, and again, i cant thank all of you for such wonderful support that you all give to each other here, and yes, fall time in Toronto is really beautiful, the leaves are just changing colors the past couple days, and the sun is shining so bright.
take care all

Welcome SKIDRO, wow what a name, don't know that I would own up to it or not, LOL. I pray that you are succesful with the stopping of the smoking. It is easier said than done....Best of luck to you tho. The sad part about this disease is that once you hear you have it, you want a smoke....I have seen this happen so many times and have heard people say that over and over again..I am praying also that you have no CANCER in your mouth or body. No one should have it, I would give everything I own to make it just disapear but it doesn't work that way. I had a dream that I found a magic lamp. LOL, yes I know. But in this dream I had 5 wishes. I thought 5 WOW. What was so great about this dream is the top major illnesses in the world today were gone. I loved this dream. I was me again as was all of us. However we still talked to each other and loved life,,,for we never forgot that we had it....I know I am talking on and on here....That's what we do on here....Prayers are we you,,,,Always Vicki Lynn