 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Welcome to OCF, Cindy! Im so sorry you have to go thru this major surgery! Its not an easy one but you can get thru this.
I have had half of my lower jaw removed so I do have first hand knowledge of what this entails. For most patients they will spend one to 2 weeks in the hospital. You could have a trach. Make sure to ask for a possey muir valve trach so you can easily talk with it in. This is something I really disliked, to me it was pretty uncomfortable. I had graph sites which were pretty painful as well as the jaw area. Make sure you have pain meds and dont be afraid to take them. Being in pain will not help a patient at all. Recovery from this type of surgery can be very long. I had some complications (which most do NOT have), it took me a full year to bounce back. Ive seen others who were back to their normal selves in 2 months.
Wishing you all the very best with your upcoming surgery!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
