Dear Friends

I am writing to update you on Mum's progress. She had surgery on Friday, 24th January to remove the tumour at the base of her tongue. They also performed a radical neck dissection to remove the lymph nodes and an incision down through the bottom of her bottom lip and down through her chin. Her left arm is bandaged and up on a sling as this arm was used as a donor site for the skin graft.

It all looked pretty nasty to start with but today is only the second day since the surgery and she has made a bit of progress in that she has been moved out of Critical Care and into a side room on a ward, which is good news isn't it?

The Nurses have just started to feed her through the PEG via a drip thingy for the first time.

Mum looks pretty tired and fed up at the moment, but she's doing okay, Thank God.
She is finding it pretty frustrating not being able to talk yet due to a tracheostomy tube being in place. I have prepared a table of appropriate words and sentences for her to point to, which is helping a bit. Today she pointed to 'I AM SAD/DEPRESSED'. Apparently this is quite a normal feeling to have after such a long surgery.

They have tried to get her to sip tiny amount of water, but she is struggling to swallow at the moment. I expect everything inside is still swollen. Tomorrow the speech therapist is going to come and 'teach' her to swallow.

As a family we are holding it together pretty well considering it is one big emotional rollercoaster ride. It has hit my dad the hardest, I have never seen my dad get so tearful before.

Well I guess that's all my news for now. I will keep you posted.

Prayers and Best Wishes for you all.

Love

Kathleen.

Hi Kathleen,

Yes, it is definitely a good sign that your Mum got moved out of Critical Care already. Sounds like she is doing well.

Before my daughter's surgery, one of her friends got her a small dry-erase board and some markers. The kind that wipes off with a paper towel or tissue. It was a real help until Heather got the trach tube out. Very easy to write down a simple sentence or phrase any time she needed to communicate. I'm sorry I didn't think to offer this suggestion to anyone before.

We're wishing your mother a swift recovery. Take care.

Rosie

Kathleen, from my experience, your mum is right on track, which is very good news! Thank you so much for updating us, as I know I was thinking of you. What a good daughter you are to prepare a table of words and sentences. I had to do all my own writing and pantomiming. If they haven't already done so, see that she gets up to sit in a chair. That will change her perspective and cheer her up in that she can move out of bed. Keep in mind that she will improve a little every day from now on.
Joanna

Kathleen,
During my biopsy the ENT gave me a trachea ( which the cancer doctors later told me I did not need and removed ). Anyway when I awoke I was furiously pantomiming and writing notes, until someone told me that if I placed the tip of my finger over the hole in the trach. I could speak normally. The next week the ENT gave me a "talking trachea" that had a filter looking thing on the end that allowed me to breathe and talk normally.
Best of luck with your mum.

Danny G.

Hi, I had the operation your Mom had 6 weeks ago, Mine took tissue and artery out of my left arm and put in my mouth as lining of bottom. This was not my initial cancer operation and my tongue is normal. So from what you have said your Mom is doing great. Being moved and then using PEG already is very positive. Get her a tablet and pen to write with. I have gotten use to it from my many operations, but it is upsetting to not be able to talk or express wishes of needs to family and nurses. I had a trac which suprised me, but it is a good safety percaution if swelling would get bad. They took mine out before I left the hospital. If she keeps hers in the care of it is very simple to do at home.I put my finger over the trac also , but it might be wise to ask the Doctor if its ok, There were times I was forbidden to do that.I was talking on my own very quickly and I am now eating regular foods, I do use tube feedings once or twice a day to be sure of vitamins, my eating is very slow, I still have a problem with my hand, there is still some pain there. When she sees it she will not be happy. My plastic surgeon said something about covering it, there is a skin graft from my leg on it but it is pretty raw looking. Anyone have any work done with artificial skin? Anyway sounds like she is doing great, she is probably like me, I think I should jump off the operating table and get back to my life the way it was! Keep us posted. gnelson, Stage IV , 2 years Cancer free.