First the good: The cancer has not spread and remains localized to the mouth.
The bad: Along with cutting out the cancer, they have to remove part of her jaw bone and replace with one from her leg. They also need to attach an artery and I think blood vessels from her leg to her jaw to get blood flow to the region so it can heal. She may need radiation afterwards too.
This will be an 8 hour surgery and a week hospital stay with a trach and feeding tube in. There is a chance she might have to go home with the feeding tube if her throat doesn't relearn how to swallow right away.
She had surgery on her tongue last year and was in terrible pain for a long time after. She want's no part of this and told me she doesn't want to live and would rather die than go through this. I told her not to think like that. She needs to be positive and tell herself she is going to kicks it's ass. I told her we need her and thank God above it hasn't spread because it could be so much worse with all the chemo and radiation. She said she would try.
Sounds like they have a therapist for cancer patients to talk through the mental side of the ordeal so we told the doctor to definitely line that up because every time she thinks about it she gets weak and sick to her stomach.
She is 77 years old but otherwise healthy and active so I hope she can muster the will and the strength to get through this.
Thank you again everyone for the prayers and well wishes. We'll get through this.
Sorry for rambling.
Rooster Jim
The deer hunter does not notice the mountains
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" - Isoroku Yamamoto
There sure are a lot of America haters that want to live here...
