updating my coming surgery

Last week, I met with the oral surgeon, who said the only thing to do was radical surgery. It entailed taking about 75% of my jaw out, all but two lower teeth, remove the lesions, then bone graft from one in lower leg and metal plate. The second stage of the surgery was the bone graft/and or metal plate and plastic surgery, for they would cut me cross my neck jaw-to-jaw and place the metal/bone graft in through there. 1 week in ICU 3-4 weeks in regular hospital, then six month recovery.

However, when I met with the second stage (bone graft/steel plate) surgeon he was strongly against this. He said it not cancer. It will never move elsewhere, and prefered a second treatment--remove the lesions, then do a bone grind, which is grinding away of only 1/4 inch of the affected bone, which leave my jaw alone, so no need for cosmetic surgery. I would only have to stay in recovery overnight and could go home in the morning and after a few days I would be back to normal.

After they presented the two option, both said if they were facing this, they would go for the moderate surgery...and I totally agree. So that is what I elected. I am much more at peace with this option. They said it will not move anywhere else in my body, it's just there and will continue to be a problem unless removed. So we remove, but this way the quality of life will not be impacted.

Call me happy camper.

Good News....mostly

Doctor appointment today to get the result of the biopsy. Great news—it is not malignant, and the tumor is In Situ—meaning it does not metastatic, migrate to other organs or bones. I go back in a week to meet with all the surgeons—one removes the tumor, one will do either a bone graphic/and/or metal plate, and one puts humpty dumpty back together again. They will do the surgery in about a month. They will remove about 75% of the lower jaw and all but 2-4 of lower teeth. So won’t be fun by any longshot, but it is something I can handle. I have a month to make sure I am a bit stronger. The waiting for news really wore me down. I think the doctor was surprised when I was grinning as he told me what he and the other doctors would have me do. He didn’t know the no cancer was such a RELIEF!! I felt almost giddy.  He remarked that I healed from the biopsy exceptionally well, so is part of the battle with the surgeries.  The tumor is "invasive ameloblastoma", which is what my super dentist, Winnie Bowing thought it would be.

  

News comes Monday

It's been some long nights...but the two weeks also feels like it is going fast.

Monday, I shall learn what sort of lesion is devouring my jaw and teeth.  Naturally, I have been reading on WedMD about similar tumors.  The majority was non-malignant.  So, I am hoping that will be the case for me.  I have dealt with health issues--bad heart, bad knees, but never someone cutting into my body, removing things, putting things in so this is new adventure.  Staying positive.  Three day from now I shall be sitting here with the results.  Then, I will face what removing the lesions entails, metal jaw insert, and finally facial surgery to put it all back to right.  Im not sure if that will be three things done at once, or separate surgeries for each.  I guess I will learn that on Monday as well.   The biggest questions in my life and I don't have my husband to turn to and to have his reassurance things will be all right.  I must travel this path on my own.

So wish me luck. 

Driving Miz Candy...

When Candy moved here in autumn of 2010 - she was a state certified driver's license instructor in New York.  I guess after over thirty years of teaching she was ready to retire.  She didn't have a car and my hubby and I took her wherever she needed to go.  With me now facing jaw surgery, there is a problem if I have to stay more than a night in the hospital.  Who would feed my kitties?  So we decided she would need her driver's license again.  It is simply too far from my house to hers to consider her not using the car.  Plus there would be the matter of dropping me off and picking me up for surgery.

So last Monday, after my biopsy, I took Candy to take her written test.  Of course she passed with 100%.  Everyone was having a giggle about Miz Candy, 72 year old, in the mix of teens getting their first permit.  It was all in good humor, and even one worked said the state police were hiring new driver inspectors, to test people coming in for the driving test.  She smiled and passed on that.

Today, I put short stuff in my Escalade and set her loose on the roads.  She did well -- like a bicycle you never forget.  She tooled around town, then we rode down to get a shaved ice.  She did very well.

So look out, the little old lady from Pasadena...hmmm...La Grange is on the roads.

Facing Dragons

Today I went in for a biopsy on my jawbone.  Not easy.  Not too bad.  Add in the emotional side of being in the hospital -- same hospital where my husband died just six months ago to the day.  But I faced all the dragons and came through on the other side.  The procedure went well.  They gave me pain pills, but don't really need them.  Dr. Mark Oppenheimer did the procedure.  Of course they send off the tissue growing inside the bone, around a couple teeth and fluid, but it appears to look like non-malignant tumor.  Ameloblastoma is what my dentist, Dr. Winnie Bowling and Dr. Oppenheimer are leaning toward.  If that is the case, then I am lucky.

I will still have to have the tumor removed, a plate put in the jaw, and some plastic surgery, but I feel positive.  And that is a good way to feel.

So knock wood.  Results come back in two weeks, and then they were set up the operations.