Welcome to OCF Colleen! You have been thru so much.

Its best to be treated by an ENT who is familiar with oral cancer patients. Sometimes that means driving a few hours to see the correct specialist. I think you are seeing someone who specializes in dealing with children's ears instead of oral cancer patients. There is a huge difference in the quality of care you will get with the correct doctor. I see an ENT who is one of the best in my area. He treats mainly oral cancer patients so is very familiar with what we go thru and how to best treat us. I also see a radiation oncologist 2x per year, a medical oncologist 2x per year and an oral surgeon only if I have a specific problem.

The hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO) are the easiest thing you would go thru. The tube is no big deal at all. After going thru radiation, many patients find themselves with unhealing wounds or osteoradionecrosis. HBO will take care of this and help you with healing. It is not difficult or claustrophobic being inside the glass tube. I have successfully done 125 of these. I am not aware of other ways to heal the osteoradionecrosis. i do know that if you dont take care of it that it will only get worse and become much harder to fix. There usually comes excruciating pain with this as well so I would suggest you help yourself by taking care of this now. If left untreated you would have to get your jaw removed which is an operation that is very difficult to go thru and recover from. My recovery took over a year but that is due to my complications. Others have bounced back within a few months. Much easier to do the HBO and avoid this major surgery.

Best wishes with everything you are going thru.