A Few More Details...

Hey everyone! I went to my post op appointment with my surgeon today and we discussed both my last surgery and my future surgery.

According to the last surgery, there was no surprises. This is good! But that doesn't really say much, I know. It was confirmed again what my cancer is, which is Squamous. That's about all he had to say on that subject. He seems happy to see me, made a comment I was talking well, and had nothing to say about my tongue. Things look good to me and they must for him as well otherwise he would have said so.

I told him my mouth was a little irritated when I ate some cream of mushroom soup. He kind of laughed. He said I just had major surgery and it would take some time to heal...ambitious much? I guess I didn't realize just how badly I want to recovery and just how quickly I am doing it. Not as quick as I would like but I'm in a good place. Not that you need all the nitty-gritty details but my tongue use to be almost completely white. It was 'hairy' and there was some coating from surgery; as well as, probably some bacteria. Well little by little each day, it has been turning pink. Today it was completely pink! Yahoo! AND I almost whistled! :)) Yes, I could whistle before!

Okay now for the harder part...at least it is for me. This next surgery is going to be a little more intensive than the last one. For starters, it will take 6-8 hours and that's without complications etc. And by complications I mean, "hey this way looks prettier!" Ha-Ha At least in my head that's what I think. Secondly, there are a few sites that will be operated on. 1) Neck 2) Back of tongue 3) Right Wrist 4)Thigh...possibly.

They will be most likely taking a piece of skin and an artery from my right forearm and placing it in the mouth to close up the hole in which they started to make and will continue to make to remove the little bit of cancer that is left. It is still part of the tongue. It's hard to envision because there's so much more that goes on in there that we don't see. (The thigh surgery is to possibly take a really thin layer of skin to cover up the area they will remove from my right forearm. They may just take the piece of the thigh to cover the hole. But your forearm skin is more flexible.) But just in case you don't know what I am taking about try this experiment out.

When you gargle with water, does it go down your neck/throat? No. Because your tongue stops it from going down into your throat. Now let's say a hole is made under the tongue that leads to your neck. Will the water you gargle go down now? Yes! They need to close that up so that food and liquids don't go down the way it was NOT intended and so that it does not cause infection. No big deal! I've seen the hole, it's about the size of a straw. But you cant see down it. You just see the start of it.

They will also be doing the neck dissection which I previously mentioned. The surgeon always thought this would be done even though we hoped not. Just because it means another surgery hence Thursday's surgery! They will go in and remove the lymph nodes that are in the upper neck region and have them tested. Then we will know for certain whether microscopic cancer cells are in there or bigger or not and figure out if they have spread! I have to be optimistic here. When I did the CT Scan my neck nodes were smaller than 1 cm which is what they wanted to see. If bigger, there would be cause for concern. Based on this, I have to hope for the best. Please pray this is also the case. Thanks!

I apologize that in order to follow my story you also have to play the waiting game with me. I don't really learn much more information at the present appointment than I did at the previous appointment. I just have to...and the doctors just have to...and you just have to, take one step at a time. Sorry! If they could tell me more they would. I would LOVE to know WTF is going on in there but I don't.

I meet with a plastic surgeon on Wednesday morning. I will know more than about exactly what she thinks will be involved with the whole "Free Tissue Transplant" that involves the forearm and/or thigh. Until then the details of that surgery is still speculations.

The difference with this surgery compared to last is I will have a feeding tube. Why? Because sometimes you have major surgery on your neck and you can't use it the way you use to. This will ensure that I get all the food, liquids, and nutrients I need. They provide me with all of the cans, I just have to put the liquids in the tube and voila, in the stomach it goes! It will probably only last for 2 weeks, unless I heal faster. Super-Ivana needs to put her suit back on for this surgery so we can see results like the last one!

Also, everything is going to be raw and swollen...to the point where I may have trouble breathing. They have discussed putting in a tracheotomy tube in my neck so that I will ensure breathing as normal. Yes, this is kinda scary. Is it really necessary? It depends on how important you think breathing is! It's a precaution in case my airways get blocked. It should only be in for a few days while I am at the hospital. Afterwards they will take it out and within 3 days to 3 weeks max. the little incision made will heal. Also no big deal!

I know I sound brave, and I know I sound like this is a piece of cake. My honest reaction was a lot of crying after the surgeon left the room. Right now, I am okay. I know I have to do this. I know it is to save my life and to help me recover faster. It's nothing I plan on having for a lifetime. This stuff happens every day. The amount of people waiting for surgery was crazy. In fact there was so many they couldn't find a room for me for how many were going on. They range from minor to major for all sorts of reasons.

I just have to accept that. End of story. I will look back on this one day and say, "Damn! I went through all that! ME! And I'm still here! And I'm all better!" Let's go with that!