So surgery it is: They gave me two choices. I could go through a long run of some of the strongest radiation and chemo known to man, OR I could choose a surgery that will be painful for about a month, and then low dose radiation and chemo. I took door #2. They were going to do the procedure today but we didn't have the $150 for it. I gotta come up with that before next Friday somehow, which is when the surgery will take place. If you think about donating, remember that the GoFund Me is down while we try to link up our new bank account (some asshole tried to steal our bank account). You'd have to use the PayPal at Pay Corey OConnor using PayPal.Me
I got my surgical package today. I am having a TORS surgery where they put a robot on my face and it takes out tumors etc. Then they are going to put me under the knife to take out my lymph nodes. If you think this sounds like a big bowl of sh*t, you'd be right. That being said, I am grateful every day for the angel(s) that walk among us.
okay, so after the surgery and all the follow up visits, I was told the following today: -They removed the remainder of my tonsil base and surrounding areas. -They removed a quarter or my tongue base -They removed my lymph nodes in my left neck area. All were cancerous, but none came back malignant. Now I am up for review by the tumor board. They will make a recommendation for me about whether or not I should move forward with chemo/radiation or if I should just continue to be cancer free but closely monitored for the next year. This is the first sliver of kinda good news I've had in a year.
I really can't thank you guys enough. I know I'm not 'there' yet, but without your support, I wouldn't have even made it this far.
It is amazing the emotional toll going through something like this can have on a person. Stay strong young man.
I'm trying. This still doesn't address the issue of the bone lesions. As soon as I conquer this issue, I'll move onto trying to solve that riddle.
good news, bad news. It seems to be the flow. I heard back from the tumor board today and I have to begin radiation treatment ASAP. I'll have my first consultation next week and then I'll go from there.
Well hell, it turns out that before I can begin radiation, I have to have extensive dental work done and we don't have the money for it. I really don't know what to do at this point in time. But anyway, I have to have this dental work done, then allow 3 weeks to deal. Then I'd begin radiation therapy.
Yeah after radiation to the head and neck area, the biology of the jaws is changed such that a simple extraction could lead to losing half your jaw. I had a patient who needed an extraction after radiation treatment, they had him go into a Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber for a number of sessions before they would do the extraction. In the old days patients who were going to have radiation to the head and neck had to have all their teeth removed. It also impacts your salivary glands and low or no saliva is a big problem with controlling decay. Have you checked with the Dental School at Alabama?
well, there is a free clinic but I can't use them because I have dental insurance. (that covers 50%) My other two options are a clinic in Huntsville that has a financial package depending on how much you make, but I believe they require payment up front. The other is to use UAB Dental school who seems to have some sort of similar program. Either way, I'm gonna have to come up with money that was not planned for at all, no one mentioned this until I sat down for my radiation consult. Question Doc, Can I get permanent dentures AFTER having radiation?
Corey, I sent you an instant message on Facebook a few weeks ago. Did you ever get it? I need an address.
Nope, no instant message. I just sent you my address over there. If you don't get it, let me know. Hell, I can post it here if need be
Good question. It really depends Corey, first of all how much saliva you can produce. Traditional dentures require saliva as the sealer for the "suction" that keeps dentures in place. Even with the addition of implants which in normal situations are terrific for dentures, but post radiation there is a higher failure rate for implants. It'll be a tough situation if you lose all your teeth. If you can retain some healthy teeth then maybe a partial denture would be the way to go. Tough situation Corey. I hope you find a good dentist with knowledge of taking care of cases like yours.
thanks Doc, Right now I'm up against the screws. I am betting that I have to have most if not all of my teeth removed, but I do produce plenty of saliva though that may change with radiation. There's a local clinic that will do it for free, but they can't take me because I have dental insurance. The next option are the 'discount' clinics, but none of them will finance the amount (at least $1200 to $1500) of the work. Then there's the places that do offer financing, but they are charging $250 for a single extraction, a whole mouth would be ridiculous. I must do this before getting radiation because they won't touch me till it's done. My other choice is to just roll the dice with an aggressive form of cancer and live with it for as long as I'd be alive.
Well, I went in to get a skin tag removed that had become infected and now I have to have an operation on next Friday. So, I'll do my radiation in the morning and then cross the street to check myself into the hospital for an operation to remove all the skin tags and some moles on my body. I guess the surgeon has some questions about them and wants to biopsy them all. I am so tired, this is just one financial pain in the ass after another. BTW, Mike, I received your incredibly generous letter and thank you. What didn't make it through was your return address. If you don't mind, please send it to my email at oconnor.corey@gmail.com , thank you
oh, and for those that have wondered, the radiation treatment is going okay, I suppose. I am starting to get the side effects. The pain doctor offered to put me on Fentanyl patches, but I turned that down for now. I know I am in pain, but the idea of messing with a drug that is 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine seems like more of a pain in the ass than I want to deal with at this time. So, I'll just keep my Percocet and shut up about it for now.