thanks for writing me, i so appreciate it!!!! it is so nice and comforting to hear that i am not alone! i will be going to university of pa hospital and lucky that its only 20 minutes away and from what i hear awesome for this! currently waiting on my second opinion and have been glued to my cell like a lunatic (darn holiday!) i have so many concerns and questions and hope you don't feel bombarded! haven't been in a forum for a long time (since my infertility days) and know sometimes things don't necessarily want to be relived. so truly, if i overstep, let me know : ) firstly of course, the surgery. i read on some sites horror stories which certainly didn't help me out and was wondering how you felt upon awakening, could you swallow, breathe, talk? i know the first prostetic (1 week one) will be in there but wonder about swelling. when i had my little biopsy i had unbeleivable pain for the first 2 days. i swear most of it was total nasal pain and general gum pain from my gum disease. the wound pain was not so pleasant but not nearly as bad as the rest of it. my husband ended up calling the surgeon at 9 p.m. as he was ready to bring me to the e.r. i am hoping it was a fluke, but of course worried. obviously the biopsy was on the pallette, yeah, close to the sinus' but not nearly as close as we are about to get! i assume i will get lots of drugs i am hoping i can knock myself out for a little bit : ) docs also told me i would be eating relatively quickly and finding that kinda hard to imagine too. were you able to, and getting even more personal, did it feel different, or taste different? lol, just lost like 23 lbs. since new years' - officially off my diet now! doc also said only a couple of days in the hospital, not surprised by this since they rush everyone out these days. was your stay similar and how was homecoming. my mother wants to spend 2 weeks to help with the family and all and well, although she is a great mom, she makes me pretty stressed in general. my husband can take a week and my boys (4 and 7) will be at camp which i will be extending hours for that month (8-6) so i guess i don't think her help is that needed. am i wrong??? doc stated one month recovery, the first two weeks the worst of it. from that point all everything is about life adjustments. read articles about cleaning the area and already freaked and grossed out. i am sure it will become a way of life, cause lets face it, it has to. the only grateful thing with the prostetic doc was that appliance #2 would be 24/7 for up to 6 weeks. it won't have teeth (not the best surprise) but i won't have to deal with the wound yet (outweighs the teeth!) you would think with 2 boys (dirty, so gross little guys) diapers, virus' etc. this would not be an overwhelming factor, but somehow it still is. i keep imagining the first time i look in there and my heart sinks. i keep reminding myself about anyone losing a limb, sure it felt the same way at first, then they put on their appliance and went to work! did you need a lot of adjustments at first before healing was complete? how hard was it to adjust to then and how is it today? are you cancer free or still in the midst? i know i am so lucky that it was not malignant. i have been a smoker since i was 15 and now i will be quitting, another thing to add to the list of things that suck : ) i have read thru a lot of posts and oh my gosh, i just cannot imagine. there are so many brave people out there and hope that i can take their example...
thanks again for getting in touch, looking forward to hearing from you (happy holiday!) marieka