I am so frustrated. It turns out the oral-maxillofacial surgeon here who has lots of knowledge, training, and experience working with oral cancer patients who have had radiation is booked until September. I have to be back in the classroom in September. My ENT said there is another oral surgeon in town who is very good and is going to try to do the surgery with him if he can set something up for the next couple of weeks. I had a dental appt. today (just regular tooth cleaning) and the hygenist said that the dentist has worked with this new guy and also says he's very good (dentist himself was not in today although I usually see him at the end of every cleaning). But I don't know if he has any training in doing coronoidectomies or experience working with patients who have had radiation. Then again he'd be assisting my ENT who does have that training.

To top it all off I went for my yearly OB/GYN exam a couple of weeks ago and, thanks to taking tamoxifen for breast cancer most likely, my uterine lining has gotten very thick and the OB/GYN wants me to have a D&C, although it is not an emergency. If I have the coronoidectomy, I will have to go back for the D&C within a month or so (which will be right about when classes start. groan).

I'm wodnering if I should just put this of until next year, end of May when my semester ends--if I plan it in advance I can get the oral surgeon I originally wanted there and then I can have the D&C now.

OTOH, I really had my mind made up this surgery would help me and I'm not looking forward to another 10 months of jaw cramps that especially happen when I try to swallow. And there is a lot that *could* improve with my swallowing once I have this surgery done assuming it is successful.

The ENT will call back tomorrow to let me know if he can do the surgery with someone else so I have a little time to think this over. Any opinions would help....

Nelie