Thanks Christine,

My mother has been on a feeding tube for about a year. She was doing really well after radiation and then there was a sudden loss of weight and stiffen of the jaw. She did a number of treatments in the hyperbaric chamber which didn't seem to help.

This past September she had a surgery to remove scar tissue build up in the area of the both the left and right sides of the jaw. Removal of this was supposed to help with the opening. The doctor was able to go through the mouth on the left side but needed to cut through the neck to get to the right side. She has also done a bunch of physical therapy for shallow and jaw opening with limited progress. Needless to say this was not successful.

In the last few weeks an infection has become apparent and the right jaw bone is dead. The jaw bone is now coming through the skin and is exposed. The doctor said he has never seem this, bone being exposed through the skin. She is going to have surgery and they will use the leg bone to replace the portion of the jaw. I am not sur ehow much of the bone is dead but I believe it extends a good way back.

We have been told that is should be an 8-10 hour surgery and expect to be in the hospital for at least 6 days.

Are you still on the feeding tube?

Thanks so much!