Had my first appointment with the surgical oncologist at Ochsner Cancer Center in New Orleans today. My Sister-in-law drove me there as I am not able to drive due to the amount of pain meds I'm taking.
The hospital is very inpressive. Everything looks new. Most importantly there is a head and neck cancer center and my doctor is a specialist in that area. He was straight up with me and explained in detail what was going to happen.
He reviewed my records and then looked at my tongue and throat. He said that it was a small tumor but I told him it was growing fast. He set a date for surgery for the 10th of May. He will be removing the infected tooth as well as half of my tongue and a lymph node. He will reconstruct my tongue with a flap of skin from my arm and replace that area with a flap of skin from my thigh.
I will have a trach for breathing and a PEG tube for eating. Will be in ICU for a few days and then able to go home within 7 to 10 days. He said I may never be able to eat by mouth again. That really got me. I kept it together till then.
He assured me that surgery is my only option for this cancer. I was hoping for Proton Therapy but he is the third doctor who said that was not an option.
He wanted to order a PET scan then changed his mind and decided on an MRI. I asked if I could have that done in Houma as they have an open MRI. He really didn't want to do that but I stressed to him that I would not be able to stand the closed MRI so it would be a waste of time. Still waiting on the results of that request.
He didn't take into consideration that I would need hyperbaric treatament for the tooth extraction as it is invasive into the jaw bone. I will call and inquire about that today. I would need at least 20 prior to the procedure and more after. That would put the surgery back from the original date. Don't know what to think about that.
There is so much information to remember.
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