Newest cancer news.

I will be meeting with my oncologist on Friday the 29th. Also with the anesthesiologist. I was told June 3rd is a possible surgery day.

I won't know until Wednesday.


Here's what I am in store for, as far as I know, I will get more info on friday.

 

They will take the benign tumor out, along with the cancer area. It will be the complete inside cheek area on my right side. They will do it from inside my mouth. At the same time another doctor will be removing my blood vessel, muscle and skin from my left forearm. They will also be taking out my lymph nodes. Definitely on my right side, don't know about the left. That will be done from the outside. So I will have a scar on my neck. They will replace my cheek muscle and blood vessel with the ones from my arm. They will also skin graft the skin from my forearm on my inside cheek. I was told the success rate for the muscle is 98%, so that's good. It's the skin graft that's the worry. The skin won't have it's own blood supply so they will have to pack my mouth so the graft is pressed to the inside of my cheek. Tracheotomy?? Probably a yes. He said I will be so swollen that I won't be able to breath out of my mouth and nose. The skin on my arm does not stretch, so if they put in too much, I could have excess that gets in the way of my chewing. If they put too little, I won't be able to open my mouth. He said they can always take some out further down the line. After 6 weeks of recuperating, I will then have radiation. I don't know if it will be zeroed in where the cancer was or if it will be a broad radiation. Either way, it's going to eff up my saliva glands. I may have trouble chewing and swallowing and could possibly choke a lot when eating. He didn't mention chemo this last visit, but I have a feeling I will have to have it. I may as well count on it. Better to be surprised if they say I don't have to have it.

 

Below is after my last major biopsy on April 23rd. I was a little out of it filming this. LOL!

The surgery will be 100 times worse than this. I'm so scared.