Finally - 30 rads done for my husband, but not without some difficulty. After 15 rads he had to stop for a week due to an infection. Then another infection after rad #28, stopped for another week. Finally he completed the last two this week.

And yes - he took his mask home. It is so close to Halloween, he couldn't resist.

Between the rads and the infections, his reconstructive surgery has taken a real beating and while we knew before he started radiation that he would have to have another free flap done to reconstuct the mandible, it now looks rather scary.

In order for the infection(s)to continue to drain, the surgeon has me packing a hole in his chin in order to keep it open for drainage.

Another hole below his chin is showing a portion of the bone from the reconstruction, and in another section the bone looks like it is very near the surface. The bone that has already broken thru the skin is showing about 1/2 inch in length and about the size of a spagetti noodle in diameter.

I don't know how long he can go with the bone exposed in this manner but we will see the surgeon again in 10 days.

Hi Karen...I do not have a lot of knowledge of what you are going through nor your husband but from a patient's point of view all I know is your husband does appreciate your care and support. I know I would. I don't understand you having to pack the wounds though because here I have a nurse come to my home two times a day to take care of the wounds from surgery...anyway keep up the caring and support I know it is appreciated...

Karen,

God bless the caregivers! You are his angel!

Lani

Karen,

So sorry to hear what a horrid time your husband is having. I have a small section of a metal plate exposed under my chin which is being removed in 2 weeks and I know how frightening that is. This is one of several plates that I have holding my "new jaw" in place.

I hope everything is ok until the surgeon sees him next.

Karen

Hi all --
Thanks for your responses.

To DarkEyeLady -- Packing the wound is really not hard and it is more of a hole than a wound -- a low spot where any drainage can seep thru. I will ask the surgeon next week if this hole will have to stay open until he has the next free flap surgery or if we can allow it to heal now that radiation is done. The source of the infections/abscesses has not really been determined yet. If could be that the fistula never did heal over and that is why it keeps coming back. Although the surgeon seems to think it is the bone degeneration causing it.

TO Karen Rose:
I had read your posts about the metal coming thru and that helped me to not freak out when I saw the bone. It is also helpful to know that Chris does not really feel it, since the bone is already dead and so many nerves to that area have been cut.

It is because of your posts that helped me that I decided to put this one in. In print it seems worse than it is, and I know it will help others to read things like this and know that people do get thru this mess. Right now Chris is tinkering in the basement, getting together camping supplies so he can go to the woods with his brothers next weekend. He is still very tired and very weak, and has to take pain meds and sleeping pills, but that isn't stopping him.