Poison drummer Rikki Rockett was staring down a terrifying possibility as he battled cancer: Doctors might have to remove his tongue.
uncertain
Doctors → star → tongue
After chemotherapy and radiation failed to stop the disease, the rocker began recording messages for his young children so they could remember the sound of his voice.
uncertain
they → fail → voice
"I was recording pieces of information for my kids so they could watch it, because the next step was to cut my tongue out if they had to," Rockett (born Richard Allan Ream) told Fox News Digital.
uncertain
Rockett → record → Digital
"And I wanted them to know what I sounded like and my advice to them growing up, and I wanted them to hear it from me.
asserted
them → want → me
I wanted them to understand what I was, what I thought I was or would become."
asserted
I → want → what
Rockett, whose weight dropped to 161 pounds during treatment, said the possibility of losing his tongue left him fearing he might not survive much longer.
uncertain
he → drop → him
"I would've most likely had a feeding tube," he said.
asserted
he → have → tube
"I don't think I would've lived much longer.
asserted
I → think → ?
It would've added another year or two.
asserted
It → add → year
Some people do make it.
asserted
people → make → it
Some people get all of that done and live for a long time.
asserted
all → get → time
But I think a lot of times, with the way it was going with me, I don't think I would've survived, quite honestly."
asserted
I → think → me
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uncertain
you → compensate → links
Now 65, Rockett says he has been free of cancer for a decade.
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he → say → decade
His memoir, "Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison," chronicles his rise to stardom during the decadent '80s and his grueling health battle.
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memoir → chronicle → 80s
WATCH: POISON DRUMMER RIKKI ROCKETT RECALLS HEARTBREAKING CANCER BATTLE
In 2015, Rockett said he and his family developed sore throats.
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he → watch → throats
They were all prescribed antibiotics, but while everyone else recovered, his symptoms persisted.
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symptoms → prescribe → antibiotics
Rockett returned to the doctor, who examined his nose and throat with a scope.
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who → return → scope
During the examination, the doctor spotted something suspicious.
asserted
doctor → spot → something
"I don't know if it's cancer, but it's suspicious, and we got to do a biopsy," Rockett recalled his doctor telling him.
asserted
doctor → know → him
"My life changed at that very second."
asserted
life → change → second
According to the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, Rockett was diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer in 2015.
uncertain
Rockett → accord → 2015
The disease affected the base of his tongue.
asserted
disease → affect → tongue
According to his memoir, Rockett had experienced a sore throat and a swollen lymph node for more than a month.
uncertain
Rockett → accord → month
It hurt every time he swallowed.
asserted
he → hurt → ?
After doctors diagnosed him with cancer, he received radiation and chemotherapy.
asserted
he → diagnose → radiation
"Before long, I couldn't eat solid food anymore," he wrote.
asserted
he → eat → food
"My weight dropped dramatically because all I could manage was soup, shakes and water.
uncertain
I → drop → ?
Eventually, I couldn't eat or drink anything at all."
asserted
I → eat → anything
Rockett wrote: "I've got throat cancer.
asserted
I → write → cancer
At its worst, I struggle to swallow even a gulp of water.
asserted
I → struggle → water
This morning, my son had to watch tears running down my cheeks as I tried to eat a spoonful of soup.
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I → have → soup
He looked terrified."
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He → look → ?
Rockett told Fox News Digital that he eventually "wound up in stage 4."
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he → tell → stage
For three months, he received radiation five days a week, along with chemotherapy weekly, but he said the treatment failed.
asserted
treatment → receive → chemotherapy
Doctors then discussed removing his tongue, according to Rockett.
uncertain
Doctors → discuss → Rockett
Rockett was terrified.
asserted
Rockett → terrify → ?
In his memoir, he wrote that he believed he had only a "40 or 50 percent chance of living."
asserted
he → write → chance
But he refused to give up.
asserted
he → refuse → ?
"Even with all the treatment, it still didn't work," he recalled.
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he → work → treatment
…and 46 more, not listed.
The Aporia
