So we are now 3 weeks out post Op. My husband is recovering awesome. His donor site is mostly healed. Still looks bad but you can see the skin now and the DR's have said he can leave it open. HIs flap is healing great ... the hair is growing ... which is a good sign. He has started eating solid foods. He is slow and messy eating but he can chew in the right the side. The surgery was on the left. He still has pain in his jaw when he chews. But the DR's say when he does Physio it will all get better. His neck from the neck disection is tender to touch and he feels a lot of weight in his face.

We met with DR's yesterday and they told us more about the surgery. They removed 37 nodes out of which 3 were malignant in level 1 just under the chin. the jaw bone is not effected and all other 34 nodes were clear. They removed 1 Salivary gland too. The margins are clear but only by 2 mm. So our DR doesnt like those margins.

The Cancer Care Center in Calgary ... Tom Baker will be reviewing his case on Wednesday to see if Radiation is needed or not. Any Advise you guys can give while we wait would be helpful. I am wondering if there are alternatives to Radiation. My thoughts is that if they have removed all nodes on that side and mostly clear then he should be okay but I might be naive.


Caregiver to Husband
Hubby Age 43
Was diagonosed with Buccual Muccusa Squomous Cell Carcinoma on Feb 13, 2014
T2 N2(not 100% sure if they are malignant) Stage 2 or 3 Not sure bc of Nodes
Surgery took place on March 17. They removed the tumor with 2 mm margins. Flap from left arm inserted into Cheek. Skin graft from left thigh to put on donor site.
37 nodes removed. 3 at level 1 malignant.