I'm sorry for your troubles, Lotte. I had major teeth issues since 2012 from radiation damage, but was unable to have them extracted due to inability to do HBOT with the persistent cancer I had, and was on long term antibiotics due to the abscesses, which are dangerous in themselves. I finally had all 29 teeth surgically extracted last November, at the same hospital as your husbands, but I have a different oral surgeon, and went in weekly for cleaning for months. By March, the 3rd molar socket still did not heal, and had early ORN with exposed bone, which required debridement, bone filed down, and a gum flap. After the surgery it still didn't heal, after weekly cleaning, but as of last week it looks like it is, otherwise another surgery may be necessary. I still have no teeth due to this, and getting any with Medicare is another issue, and not likely.

This is not my only issue, as I see about 8 specialists, and have at least one doctor visit, test or treatment every week, if not more, for the past 5.6 years. Everyone has their own way of coping, so what works for one may not another. I basically take one day at a time, go meal to meal, coffee cup to coffee cup, and have some type of calm for being cancer free for a year now after 7 recurrences, and don't look too often at all the possibilities, but do for some. I do educate myself to my own diseases/ailments, and what's available, what's new, and the next case scenario, but tend not to dwell on it. Somehow I feel more powerful knowing I'm still in charge, what I have done, and my doctors commend that, but I have my ups and downs like everyone, but like Uptown says, somehow I find a way to recharge, and start again.

They do have SPOHNC meeting at Beth Israel on the 3rd Thursday of every month from 2-4pm, on the 5th floor. The next one is on the 28th, if you're interested.