Thanks, everyone! I have written down more questions to research and ask my doctor in our next appointment. It sounds like I should really dig into the cadaver vs. skin flap option to really see what the benefits and drawbacks are before I make a decision.

Still waiting on the results of the PET scan, so I probably won't have the information and firm diagnosis until Wednesday. But you have all helped me come up with a pretty comprehensive list of questions and concerns - so I hope to share more later this week.

Thanks again,
Gina

Hi Gina,

It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of what to expect. I'm rooting for PET results that only show the known tumor. (Even if PET shows possible node involvement, pathology results may still be negative; mine was.)

One thing I didn't ask my surgeon about was what to expect right after surgery. I had thought/assumed I'd be in hospital 2-3 days, but at my pre-op appt just a few days before surgery he told me 5-7, which is when the seriousness of the surgery hit me. Ask what kind of tubes you'll have when you wake up. I had EKG, drain, NG tube, IV and oxygen. Will you have to stay in ICU? (I did from right after surgery until about 9 or 10 the next morning. I don't think it was expected.) Does your surgeon expect you to be able to swallow/drink shortly after surgery? Just ask whatever you can think of. Maybe just asking what to expect right after surgery will be enough for your surgeon to volunteer all of that info.

Its good that you're writing stuff down, but don't forget to listen. If there's something you wrote that you don't remember why, feel free to ask about it again. If someone is going with you to appointments, perhaps they could write while you listen.

Good luck! You can do this!
:-)
Teresa

Gina

You have gotten great advice. In considering cadaver vs your skin, you mentioned that the surgeon would use the thigh for the graft. My experience was that if they take it from the folds of the thigh, it leaves an almost invisible scar, barely noticeable.
Since I did have base of tongue, my surgery required the tongue flap to be from my wrist due to all the veins and arteries that could be tied into my mouth. But they filled in the gap in my wrist with a graft from the folded skin in my thigh. What was amazing was that the thigh graft healed faster and with little or no pain and just left my left thigh firmer and leaner than the right one.
Add that to your list of questions to see if your experience would be similar.
Charm