Yesterday my husband's doctors gave us the surgery date--Jan. 21. The chemo is not shrinking the cancer much, so they are worried about waiting any longer. Tumor Board met Thursday and resolved some conflict in thinking between the chemo doc and surgeon. Our best odds are surgery now, more chemo later (and possibly more radiation even though he had it last year for the primary T1 SCC--they are checking on dosages he had at another hospital, etc.)

The surgery will involve removing hard palate, right tonsil, and doing radical right neck dissection. The doctor explained where the incisions will be made, how his lower jaw will be split and swung open, etc. He said that they will try to spare nerves that control facial expression, but since his lower lip already suffers from some paralysis (a tumor in his lymph node under his ear/jawline is pressing on nerves, etc.), it is likely that that paralysis will remain the same or worse after surgery. He may also have tongue numbness on one side due to nerve damage as well. There is a possibility, he went on to say, that the nerve that controls the eye---blinking, closing, expression--will have to be severed. They will try to spare it, but depending on how deep the tumor in that area runs, they may not be able to.

Has anyone out there expienced this type of nerve damage from surgery? My husband is handling all this very well, thankfully, as am I (considering I've been a near basket-case for weeks now) but I really want to be prepared for what comes after. Is there any chance that even if nerves are severed, a graft is possible? (the doctor mentioned this).

Scott (my husband) will also have a skin flap with muscle tissue grafted to his soft palate, but he will have a prosthesis for his hard palate--a super denture, as it were, since they will also be removing a number of upper teeth.How does it feel to talk, eat, with this thing in? Any experience with this would be appreciated as well.

Christine