Thank you DaniO and August!

As ususal, more good advice that much appreciated. My daughter and I are spending the week end together with other family. This is our month of birthdays. Including Five generations born in my immediate family born on October 28, 29 or 30. We are very family oriented and demonstrative.... Lots of hugs and I love you's.... family events --- coming together cooking personal specialties, etc. So my adventure couldn't have started at a better time..

Don't think a general announcement would be appropriate.... But opportunities to pull a few aside or arrange for "tea time".

You are right my husband IS wonderful and I am grateful and blessed! This emotional rollercoaster is playing havic with me. Fear, Anger, anxiety regroup and repeat the cycle.

August, thanks for sharing your experience with Palatal surgery. Most posts have involved people with Tongue or other cancers of the lower mouth. So you're experience may have similarities in what's to come for me.

The common theme here is the 'Adventure' as you appropriately called it.. will take us to unknow places and require us to climb seemingly insurmountable mountains...

But with the support and information I find here, and of course that of our families... we make it through..

Please take care of yourselves... Remember me in your prayers I will you.

Audrey

Hi Audrey sorry not had a chance to reply earlier. I found August account interesting. As you are aware like August I have had extensive surgery to the top of my mouth and surrounding area. My concern has been in trying not to scare you before you had your results. However it seems like you are going to have surgery. I would like to give you some insight into my surgery and post problems, which might help come to terms.

My tumour was on the left side of my face and the hard palate The only way the surgeons can get to a tumour is by coming from the outside, they made an incision from my left ear across the base of my eye and down the side of my nose to the centre of my lip. The Surgeons had to remove all the bone in the left check my top jaw and palate, which included all the soft tissue. The Plastic surgeon then had the task of repairing the damage. He used my right leg for his parts. Yes my Fibula is now in my mouth; the Fib was used for the reconstruction, as were muscle and blood vessels from the right leg. I have a new blood supply from my neck to the mouth. Disfigurement yes I have two very large and horrible scares on my right leg. But unless you look really close you cannot see the scare on the face (My wife and I can see it if we look hard, everyone else has asked were did the surgeon cut?). I should point out that the whole operations took 17 hours (I was under general anaesthetic for 17 hours)

Post Op days: I was in Hospital for 14 day. I was never in what I would call pain, discomfort yes but not pain. Something you should be aware of you might have an obturator this is a plastic plate that acts as you palate (I