So after a 3 plus hour drive to the med center, another hour wait, finally get to the doc. Since UCLA is a teaching hospital, got examined by the resident, then the head head doc who will be doing the surgery. While they're encouraging in that the cancer is local to the tongue, not so much on how much surgery, recuperation etc.

Will definitely be on a G tube, and trach tube, he thinks both will likely be permanent. Wants me to have a splint made in case he has to split the jaw. I can't say he was the greatest at explaining exactly what was going on, sort if was pushing it off to the reconstructive surgeon, who I see next Tuesday.

Not sure if this guy was painting a worst case scenario as far as surgery and recovery or what. I'll ask next Tuesday exactly what this guy plans on doing. The pre-op testing instructions he sent to my GP mention near total glossectomy, G Tube, Trach Tube, neck dissections right and left, free flap reconstruction, and something about direct laryngoscopy. Think the neck dissections might be to retrieve nerves for the free flap reconstruction, there were no nodes involved according to the PET/CT.

About a 10 hour procedure according to the scheduling person, figuring 10 days to 2 weeks in the hospital.

My wife and myself are pretty down about this, not exactly expecting the "permanent" nature of the G tube and Trach, or weren't prepared for it. At this point I'm not worried about diet restrictions, guess I have about a week to eat my "last meals" as it were. Steak, Pizza, White Castle Cheeseburgers. I can thing of a bunch of stuff.....

This crap sucks.