I don't know who will read this, but I wanted to tell all who go thru a procedure of either removing part or all of their jaw due to cancer, it gets better with time. My biggest concern when they told me they had to remove my lower jaw was.. "can I still eat pizza?" My care team assured me I would go on to live a full, normal life.

It is a process of coming to grips with a new life. I am here 13 years after my surgery, and I can say I am so grateful to be alive and vital. Sure, my facial structure is not what it used to be, but I am able to smile, and people are drawn to my smile. Of course, it helps that I have perfect teeth on my upper jaw. I had implants put in after a few years when the radiation finally took the last of my good teeth.

My message is.. this surgery is horrifying, it's something that causes us to stop and say, "what did I do wrong". But the fact is, it happened. And we have to make the best of what we have. I love my life and treat each day as an adventure.

For those of you just starting on this path of surgery, or have already had it, I am available to talk. Just leave a private message..or you can ask questions here on the forum for others to learn from.

Cris

<blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:316px" data-embed-height="316">
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadandNeckCancer/comments/1vz0uqe/hi_reddit_were_dr_kyle_ettinger_oral_and/">Hi Reddit! We're Dr. Kyle Ettinger, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and Dr. Tim Malouff, radiation oncologist, from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. We specialize in caring for people with head and neck cancer. Join us on September 2nd, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. CST for an #AMA. Ask us anything!</a><br> by
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/MayoClinicMN/">u/MayoClinicMN</a> in
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadandNeckCancer/">HeadandNeckCancer</a>
</blockquote><script async="" src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

Quoted from Reddit:

September 2nd, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. CST for an #AMA

" Hello Reddit!

We're excited to join r/HeadandNeckCancer for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) about head and neck cancer!

Whether you're newly diagnosed, exploring treatment options, preparing for surgery, or caring for someone with head and neck cancer, we're here to answer your questions about tumor removal, reconstructive surgery, treatment planning, quality of life after treatment, and the latest innovations.

I’m Dr. Kyle Ettinger, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and surgical oncologist at Mayo Clinic specializing in the surgical treatment of head and neck cancer. My work focuses on removing cancer while preserving and restoring important functions like speaking, chewing and swallowing through advanced reconstructive surgery when needed. I’m here today to answer your questions about head and neck cancer, reconstructive surgery, surgical innovations, and what people can expect throughout their care journey.

I’m Dr. Tim Malouff, a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic, treating people with head and neck cancer. I specialize in modern radiation treatments, such as proton therapy and SBRT, designed to target cancer while minimizing impact on healthy tissue. I’m excited to answer your questions about radiation therapy, emerging technologies, and the future of cancer treatment.

Click here to learn more about head and neck cancer care at Mayo Clinic.

Disclaimer: This AMA is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice from your healthcare team.

You can start submitting your questions now—we're looking forward to the discussion! "

In case anyone in the OCF world happens upon this and is not on the Reddit Head and Neck group and may want to participate in this.

Not sure how the UBBCode will parse out all the Reddit embed text, but worse case scenario people should be able to highlight the URL and post it into a browswer window or just search Reddit for that post.