Caregiver,

That's one step forward.

Write down your questions in a notebook and pull it out as soon as the doctor comes in and announce that you have x number of questions that you will have to ask. I have found this strategy very useful; they know they can't just brush me off and that I won't go until I have gone through my list of questions.

Good luck with surgery on the 22nd! I'm pretty sure if the doctors didn't think there was possibility of a cure, surgery or any other curative type treatment wouldn't be offered.

My husband is resting comfortably recovering from his surgery. We spoke via Skype last night. He said he ate some applesauce. That's huge: he's speaking and eating.

I'm encouraged to see him looking so well. The results of the operation are tentative pending the full pathology report but the surgeons say they removed two small areas from the right side of his tongue, both with negative peripheral margins. The interior regions that they removed had low density of cancer tissue.

He is having an MRI shortly, and then they are discharging him to the on site hotel today. More follow up tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed for the MRI results.

Thanks all for your support and Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for the update, it sounds encouraging.

We are still waiting for the full pathology report and MRI results, but have some concerning news. There are three samples still in pathology, and the operation report talks about both positive and negative margins on one sample.. We think the surgeons stopped cutting at the end because they hit some prearranged boundary that would remain minimally invasive and leave my husband with a functioning tongue. We don't know when we will get the results, or what the options are if one is positive.

On the bright side, he is recovering very well from the surgery. He's eating soft foods and doesn't have much pain. Keep your fingers crossed for us

Dear Caregiver,

While the operation report may raise concerns, you won't get the whole picture until you've got the path report. At that point, the doctors may have a treatment plan to offer. After all, MD Anderson is one of the best facilities to be treated at. The doctors there know what they are doing, put your trust in them.
I am keeping both of you in my thoughts.

Thanks, Gloria. I am trying to focus on the positive this weekend. He has improved significantly this weekend in both eating and speaking, and he has no pain from the surgery.

We will see what the pathology report says and, if it is not clean, what the next steps are. I'm still holding out hope for a long term remission, if not a cure.

Either way, we are going to take the vacation trip we have planned for the third week in December!

Good morning

WE finally connected with the surgeon yesterday to review the pathology results. He confirmed that my husband is cancer free after the surgery. They still consider him high risk and want him back for a scan in 3 months.

This is the best news we could have hoped for. He can eat most things and his speech is not much changed. So far, a good outcome for him.

Thank you all again for the support

That's wonderful to hear!

Best news possible, congrats all is going well!