| | Joined: Nov 2013 Posts: 14 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Nov 2013 Posts: 14 | My surgery was originally scheduled for 12:30PM today but the nurse called at 9:30 last night and asked if I could be at the hosp. at 5:30AM for a 7:30 surgery. I said "HECK YEAH", I'm an early riser any way. Paper work and prep completed and the wall clock said 7:24AM when they wheeled me into the operating room. I remember sliding onto the operating table and nothing else until I woke up in the recovery room about 9:15. Felt pretty good, hardly any pain. Drank a small cup of water and a small cup of coffee and by 9:45AM I was dressed and being wheeled to the front door for discharge.
We stopped on the way home to pick up drugs (oxycodone) and by the time I got home (about an hour after we left the hosp) I was ready for a dose. The pain,for me, is fairly mild except when I move my tongue or swallow. It is now 7:45PM and I still don't try to talk but I have had some coffee and an Insure. (butter pecan doesn't taste too bad).
Don't know for sure how much tongue I'm missing but it feels like it won't effect my speech or ability to swallow once the pain subsides and the stitches dissolve. My wife says it looks like the lower right side of the tongue looks like it has a zipper in it. The doc says he thinks he got it all and he didn't see anything in the throat or vocal chords that concerned him. He didn't do a neck dissection (didn't see the need). Review of additional lab results in a week or so will determine if further treatment is necessary but he doubts it will be.
I know many of you are hoeing a much tougher row than I am and I feel incredibly blessed that this disease seems to have been caught early in my case. I can only offer moral support as you are for me any I will pray for your recovery if you like.
Bud
Male, age 65, smoker, former drinker. Retired corp. pilot. diagnosed with stage I squamous cell in the lower tongue. Fairly active. I don't "exercise" exercise but work in the lawn and garden and work on my hot rod cars.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | So god the surgery went well and so glad you are feeling okay. Pleas keep us apprised of what the results are.., and keep a close eye on your neck. Hugs and luck
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Bud, sounds like your surgery went very well. Congrats! Best wishes with your speedy recovery. Tomorrow you probably will feel pretty sore so stay on top of the pain meds.
Best wishes!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 | Glad the surgery schedule worked in your favor. I'm not an early riser, but for surgery, I like them early too. Everything else sees to have gone well, and good luck with the pathology results.
10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,024 "OCF Kiwi Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF Kiwi Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,024 | Well that all sounds fairly easy and straight forward. Keep on top of the pain with regular pain meds. Hoping for really good pathology results for you. Let us know and what, if any, further treatment is planned.
Tammy
Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,406 | Great to read, Bud. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a good lab report. Keep us in the loop!
David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 559 Likes: 1 | Bud, if memory serves you did your surgery at the VA, like mine was. Only difference was you were in and out of surgery post haste, where I had to lay around for what seemed an eternity before they finally wheeled me in.
Also, they told me as soon as you pick up pain meds at pharmacy, take two right then, don't wait until after the drive home. None-the-less it looks like you weathered the storm just fine and are now sailing through recovery.
Granted our surgeries were different (tonsilectomy for me) but I found I didn't need the oxy past about day 2 of recovery. If I had taken them as prescribed (2 pills, 4 times daily) I would have run out within a week. So, I switched to ibuprofen to save some for what they promised me would be the hardest time (days 7 to 10). Then it turns out days 7-10 weren't too bad either.
Hang in there, I'm looking forward to the day we both move on into Post Treatment forum.
Tony
Last edited by n74tg; 12-04-2013 03:43 AM.
Tony, 69, non-smoker, aerobatics pilot, bridge player/teacher, avid dancer (ballroom, latin, swing, country)
09/13 SCC, HPV 16, tonsillectomy, T2N0.
11/13 start rads, no chemo
12/13 taste gone, dry mouth,
02/14 hair slowly returning
05/14 taste the same, dry sinuses, irrigation helps.
01/15 food taste about 60% returned, dry sinuses are worse in winter.
12/20 no more sinus problems, taste pretty good
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 225 "OCF Down Under" Gold Member (200+ posts) | | "OCF Down Under" Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 225 | Hi Bud, I, too, will be following your progress and am very pleased that's it's so far so good. Watch out for constipation if you need to hit the pain meds seriously. Anticipate rather than have to manage it afterwards. Very best wishes, Linda
Brother 49yo DX 22/6/11 Tonsil SCC HPV+ Stage IV T4N1(?)M0. Carbo/docetaxel (Taxotere)19/7, 11/8 (with E-tux), 1/9; E-tux 11/8, 25/8, 15/9, 30/9, 14/10, 28/10; IMRT X 35 (70gy tumour;63gy nodes;56gy gen area) 19/9-4/11/11. Clear PET scan 1/2/12. 1 and 2 year post treatment checks good.
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