Mike had the throat dilation today. What is this really called? Esophogus stretch? I don't know.
Well, everything went well. The ENT greeted us before the procedure. He said he no longer wished to recommnend the selective neck dissection at this time. Monitering would be his choice now. He said he was in meetings with the Cleveland Clinic all weekend and the board there concurred with this approach. Yeeeehhh!
So, on with the procedure for the opening of the throat. It went well, ENT said he felt something firm just to the left of the now vanished tumor site. He thought it may be a radiation after affects, but since it was the half the size of a pinkie fingernail, and encapsulated in a mucouse material he excised it and sent it to be biopsied. He looked around the neck area at the lympth nodes and saw nothing to be noted. It all looked good. Later he told us the tissue biopsy report came back negative, no cancer cells found! Yeeeehhh!!
The plan now is PET/CT scan in December and monthly meetings with the ENT. he told Mike no babying himself with the swallowing, keep at it. He can get the peg tube out as soon as he can do 75% of his calorie requirements by mouth. PLUS, he can go back to work! Yeeeehhh! But, not until he has developed a plan to safely and sufficiently nourish himself while at work. We had to explain to the doc how the gravity fed peg tube and driving a big truck with triple trailers was not a good idea. And no, you cannot drive with your knee on the wheel to have your hands free! Ha Ha!
Mike is really pyched up about going to work and is happy happy.