Colleen, I also had the surgery you are talking about and it's "doable".

It does require an incision that cuts through the bottom lip, down through the chin, and across the neck...........but that is for lower jaw removal. Where yours is upper jaw, it may be different.

My leg is weaker but truly, I get along just fine and do everything I could do before except run really fast...............and at 45 I'm not playing softball any longer and stopped jogging years ago........so it's all good!

Tough decision ahead of you. Try thinking of it this way............is it cosmetic or function that it will improve?? Because if you are planning on those 20-25 more years..........why not take steps now to be as functional as possible?

SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.