Hi. First the good part. After 2 years 9 months I had my Peg tube removed yesterday! I feel like a piece of my body is missing! I did not use it the whole time but had so many surgerys that I had to go back to using it that they left it in place.Now the bad part, I saw my plastic surgeon first, he has a new ides to take what is left of my old chin and take the fat out of it so it will be flat and even with the other side. Maybe I will be satisfied with that. NO! That leaves the side I have bar on ( titanium bar is now my Jaw bone) with indents and creases in very well seen . I said what about plan for backward face lift to cover all of this? He said he is afraid to get close to bar and infection. .I left his office more depressed than I have been in ages.I feel this guy is too hung up on the failed flap I had when bone did not take , he says someting about this at every visit, he also said he was afraid to do flap from my wrist to line my mouth, it was a success. My ENT was next and he said we could get close to bar in an operating room there is little danger of infection getting on bar, so he likes the idea of taking fat out of chin , but thinks we can cover the other side.I would like to get a new Plastic surgeon, but that would be at another medical center and I do not want to leave my ENT. If my Cancer would ever come back this is the guy I want treating me. I told him, I want to move forward with this and try to look as normal as possible and you guys are dragging your feet behind me.I really feel the plastic guy does not care about my emotional well being,I will not be satisfied until I look as normal as possible.Surgery is a risk always, I know I have had 9 so far, for 3 years I have lived with risk, the first one was no radiation, my ENT says he is a little shocked and suprised we have had no problems with return Cancer, getting the old bar out and getting the new was a big risk, flap from arm after the failure was a risk, now I am almost finished and I am suppose to get scared? Maybe I have lost something here, maybe I am not thinking clearly,anyone have an opinion of what they would do if it were them?I would welcome any input, my husband and I just keep going around in circles!

I am so sorry to hear about your problem with the plastic surgeon. I know how you feel about getting back to normal, or as normal as we can be after cancer.Have a heart to heart with your ENT and see what he thinks.My Drs. had their heads together most of the time,maybe he can get to the the bottom of the issue for you. Gwen

Hi, Well Gwen I thought I would post to let you know you were right! My ENT talked to Plastics and he says fatty chin first , then crease on side where tumor was, then he will give me a face lift on that side to pull all even, I will have a few light scars and indent in my neck but full face will look very normal. It will take 3 surgerys with 3 months healing time between.This is a lot better than the first story.I feel a lot better now that I know my ENT is going to make sure they help me and finish this properly. I will never be like I was, but I would like to be the best that I can be! Thanks for answering. My problems are sometimes different than the ones that everyone else has, and I sometimes feel I am alone with my difficulties. :rolleyes:

Hi GNelson..........First, good news about PEG. I was happy the day she was removed also; it meant a sign of recovery and the fact that I could actually maintain my health by eating REAL FOOD. That was a very good day if I remember correctly.

About the plastics Doc -- why not just get a second opinion to see what another professional might consider trying. Doing that might ease your mind a bit and also let you hear first hand that there might be another option available. Don't give up now, you've traveled such a long hard journey and you deserve the very best face possible after everything is said and done. None of us are perfect, but we do want to be the best that we can be and if you can find a surgeon to help you along then i say "go for it", Keep us posted on how things turn out. Sincerely, Donna

I think your attitude about this is great. Do what you think is right and step right over the things in your way!