On January 31st my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV SCC Oral Cancer of the RetroMolar Trigone with invasion in the tonsil, soft pallete and masticator space. He will have surgery on March 7th to remove the upper and lower jaw and a radical neck dissection. He will have soft tissue reconstruction with tissue and muscle from his chest. He will have a trach and a feeding tube. There will be a GI surgeon, Oral Cancer surgeon and a Plastic Surgeon.

He is 70 years old and has never smoked, drank or chewed in his life and has been relatively healthy so this has all came as a shock. I am an only child, so my mom and I will be his caregivers.

I was wondering for others who have been through this type of surgery approximately how long did the surgery last? Will he be in a medically induced coma? Approximately how long was your hospital stay? Were you able to come straight home or did you need a rehab facility? How long did you have the trach? I know he will be disfigured, but will he still look somewhat like himself (I have teenage children I am trying to prepare)?

I know each case is unique, but I just thought maybe some others experiences could help my mom and I prepare. My dad becomes very apprehensive if we ask the doctors to many questions in his presence.