I found this lump in Sept 05 and didn't think much of it at first, I actually thought it was a blister on the roof of my mouth from hot food. Then a couple of weeks later it was still there so I let some of the physicians I work with look at it and no one thought anything of it of course. So I waited until my next dental appt. in Dec 05 and the dentist tried me on antibiotics and said if it didn't go away in 2 weeks I'd have to go to the oral surgeon. Since I didn't think it was anything again I postponed my OS appt. until Feb. He was very nice and said he wanted me to have a test at an endodontist to see if it was an abcess and if not I would have a biopsy. So I did that but it was OK so back to the OS I go for the BX. in March. When I went for my results he was very surprised as was I to the Dx. of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The margins were not clear on the bx. and in fact my local pathology dept. wasn't sure which type of cancer it was only that it was a cancer so luckily I live 80 miles from MD Anderson cancer center and they sent my bx. over there for a definative Dx.
I was also refered to another OS there in Houston that did my left side palatectomy 4-25-06 after this the margins were clean and I did not have to have radiation. I had a plate in my mouth for a month with alloderm graft that failed so I still have a slowly healing hole up there but it feels pretty good only alittle tender when I eat. I never smoked but I grew up in a house full of it unfortunatly.
I really wanted to become a member here to let others know what I had happen to me and get advice from others who are much farther out of treatment that myself. I still have alot of worries and doubts about all this. I didn't have any nodes removed or bx. but since all this started my left node under my jaw line has been alittle bigger than the right which I have discussed with my OS but he doesn't seem to think it feels bigger and my CT and MRI looked fine. I also had a weird sensation of something in my left nostril and left ear but I did go to an ENT my OS sent me to and have an endoscopy of my nose down to my larnyx but no bx. of the area. I just want to be really informed on what to look for in the future so I can STAY healthy! thanks for listening!