#44499 01-31-2005 08:49 AM | Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 153 Gold Member (100+ posts) | OP  Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 153 | My brother is undergoing surgery today to remove 1/2 his tongue, the right floor of his mouth and the right jaw bone. The doctors came out about 9:30 a.m. and said he was doing great. It is an 11 hour surgery so we have a while yet. The tumor was bigger than expected and they will be removing the jaw bone from the middle of the chin to his ear. The plastic surgeon is working on removing the bone from David
Sister of 32 year-old oral cancer victim. Our battle is over but the war rages on. My brother passed July 26, 2005. He was a smokeless tobacco user.
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#44500 01-31-2005 09:16 AM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 72 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 72 | Tonya: My thoughts are with your, your family and your brother. You have been a great support to your brother & family. I know because I remember your very first posts - I am the sister of an oral cancer survivor and I knew what you were going through. You have done a great job getting your brother good treatment. My thoughts are with you all. - Candace
Sister of guy w/base of tongue cancer, Stage IV, Dx 4/03, finished Tx 9/03
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#44501 01-31-2005 10:52 AM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Tonya
I had a 12 hour operation, no bone grafts but lots of skin grafts, prayers and good vibes..
Sunshine...love and hugs
Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
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#44502 01-31-2005 02:25 PM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 372 | Tonya,
Hope all is still going well and that surgery is over...it's hard at first what you see but the swelling goes down and drainage tubes go away and things get better. Prayers and thoughts are with you and your brother.
God bless,
Debbie
Debbie - Caregiver for husband, Dan, diagnosed with tongue cancer 7/03. Partial gloss., mod. neck dissections, graft. Recurrence neck tumor 12/03. Radical left neck dissection 12/24/03-unable to get all the tumor. 8 weeks chemo/rad beginning 1/12/04.
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#44503 01-31-2005 03:53 PM | Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 153 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | OP Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 153 | Thanks for the kind words of support. I can really use them right now. David is out of surgery. The tumor measured 4 inches. They tried to save all they could but had to remove 5/6 of the tongue and don't expect him to every speak again. They also had to remove the right jaw from chin to ear, a little bit of the upper jaw, almost all the floor of his mouth, and part of his throat. They did a neck disection and removed the lymph nodes. The floor was rebuilt with chest muscle and the jaw with a part of the leg bone. However, due to chemo damage from a previous medical institute, the vessels were almost destroyed on the right side of his face and even with the plastic surgery that side will be "saggy". They said swallowing will be very difficult if not impossible and he will remain on a feeding tube from here on out. They told my mother that if David hadn't been this young they wouldn't have attempted this surgery at all. I'm glad the surgery is over - he's been in so much pain. Our efforts now will be on keeping his spirits up. I know foremost on his mind will be his speech. I believe he will be able to talk someday because he is such a strong person. It may take years, but I won't give up on him. I have to remember all these things are actually small blessings, we still have him and hope for a bright future, though I know from the shared stories on this site that the challenges ahead will be great. Does anyone have any ideas about the speech options? What about those machines they put on your voice box that allows you to "talk" through the vibrations? Are there any hand held computers available yet that allow you to type your message and then it says it? I know I am getting ahead of myself, but I also know my brother will be so worried about how this will effect his job and I just want to reassure him there are options. Well, it's been a long day as you all know and I will sign off now. I'm sure you will hear plenty from me in the weeks to come as we struggle to deal with this.
Sister of 32 year-old oral cancer victim. Our battle is over but the war rages on. My brother passed July 26, 2005. He was a smokeless tobacco user.
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#44504 02-01-2005 07:59 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 50 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 50 | Tonya,
I don't have any answers for your questions, but you will find a way. May God bless and keep you and yours.
John | | |
#44505 02-01-2005 09:03 AM | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,244 | Tonya
Please try to stay positive...
Sunshine.. love and hugs
Helen
SCC Base of tongue, (TISN0M0) laser surgery, 10/01 and 05/03 no clear margins. Radial free flap graft to tonsil pillar, partial glossectomy, left neck dissection 08/04
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#44506 02-01-2005 10:42 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 417 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 417 | Tonya:
Your family has our prayers. Prayer changes things!
God bless!
Darrell
Stage 3, T3,N1,M0,SCC, Base of Tongue. No Surgery, Radiationx39, Chemo, Taxol & Carboplatin Weekly 8 Treatments 2004. Age 60. Recurrence 2/06, SCC, Chest & Neck (Sub clavean), Remission 8/06. Recurrence SCC 12/10/06 Chest.
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#44507 02-01-2005 01:41 PM | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 94 Senior Member (75+ posts) | | Senior Member (75+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 94 | Tonya,
I hope you can get some rest now. You will need a lot of strength in the weeks, months, years to come. Your brother is lucky to have you.
Talk to a speech pathologist about the technical solutions you're looking for. I don't know for sure, but I'll bet some of them do exist... I know any Mac can speak a typed sentence, but I imagine there are some devices that turn a few keystrokes into whole words/sentences. Seek and you shall find.
Ken
SCCA T2N1M0 diagnosed 11/02, radical neck dissection, 7 weeks radiation, 6 surgeries to deal with osteonecrosis, 10 weeks hyperbaric oxygen. "Live strong. Laugh often."
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#44508 02-01-2005 05:09 PM | Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Hi Tonya,
I had the jaw surgery your brother had, with the jaw replaced with the bone from my leg. I had it done in April of 2003. I was told I would need speech therapy to learn how to talk again. I was talking pretty much normally the day they took out the trach, surprising everyone. I did not have any surgery to my tongue so your brothers case will be more complicated, but don't give up hope of him talking again.
Please keep us updated on his progress.
Minnie
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.
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