Hi everyone,
I survived my tongue surgery and neck dissection on the 26th. It has been pretty rough. I was in the hospital for 6 days. They feel they got all the cancer with clean margins and took all the lymphnodes. I finally got a report on the lymph nodes the 6th when they took out the staples. I'll have to say the neck surgery has been worse than I expected, but I am healing well and I think it will be fine with some time. I still have the feeding tube down my nose and my husband has been very helpful feeding me and putting all my meds through the tube. I have always been a very bad gagger, so this has been a real ordeal, but I am coping.. You do what you have to...The plan is to take the feeding tube out this Thursday... I cant wait... What a joy that will be. We really dont appreciate the little things in life like being able to swallow your own spit.... Ha.. I have had to have a suction machine to get it all out. I had a cold when this all started and I have had an unbelievable amount of junk I get strangeled on.. Hate it when I am so helpless... I have been very sick to my stomach and that is very hard when all this is going on, but that is getting better. The Jevity stuff that goes in the feeding tube is very rich and didn't agree with me for several days, but that too is going much much better. I am so glad I had sense enough to keep an eye on this thing and let the oral surgeon do all those nasty biospies. They were a piece of cake compared to now. A group of drs called a tumor board will discuss my case, but my dr feel I shouldn't need radiation, we'll see. Hope not... I have come to really like and trust this dr, he has been very good to work with and a nice person too and that always helps when you are so sick. Shouldn't babble on, just wanted to thank all of you who sent good wishes. Hope I can give some sensible advice to others in the future... Most important is to keep your chin up.. I have had those tearful times and I am sure I will again, sometimes you need to release stress, but you can't let it consume you, have to kick yourself in the behind and get in gear.... My husband will be looking for his "farmhand" back before long and I will gladly help...Talk to you soon. Thanks again for all your good thoughts. It hasn't gone unappreciated...