I’m having surgery (polymorphous adenocarcinoma)

Got good news and bad news!

Pathology results came back and they managed to get all the cancer out so there’s no need for radiotherapy, yeah!

Unfortunately, the flap that was put to cover the hole in the roof of my mouth did not take so I will likely have further surgery later to cover it up. I have to make do with an uncomfortable dental plate to make eating and speaking a little easier.

But for now I’m celebrating the good news that I am now cancer free!

Well done well done well done. I’m over the moon for you. After all the things we go through to get a message like that is truly uplifting. 
Might I suggest you go and play in the sunshine

Best of luck with your future plastic surgery 

xxx

Great news no radiotherapy, am sure they will sort the dental palate out for you. 
onwards and upwards Hazel 

Great news MaiT , having no radio is a big bonus, i know its not much fun when a flap does not work the first time around as i had one that did not take but the second one worked out ok. All the best for your continued recovery,take care.

                                                      Chris x

Hi MaiT  I’ve just been diagnosed with PAC and I’ve read your thread regarding your diagnosis and surgery. So glad everything went well for you. I suppose I’m just looking for some reassurance regarding the surgery which I’ll be due to have in the coming weeks. Like yourself I’ve been advised I’ll need a dental plate, how did you manage with that after? Any info would be greatly appreciated :-)

Hi SarahLou1304 I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I hope your surgery goes well. All you can do is take it a day at a time and put your trust in the surgical team. Asking them lots of questions to understand the procedure helped me to feel more confident and reassured about my surgery. 

I’m not going to lie, the dental plate wasn’t the greatest experience for me. Mainly because getting it fitted the first time was difficult as I couldn’t really open my mouth wide enough to get an imprint. After doing the daily exercises it got easier and the dentist also kept adjusting it for a better fit. Without it I couldn’t speak eligibly so I was really grateful for it. Although it was helpful for eating it wasn’t leakproof, I still had some liquids coming up my nose at first, and the dentist helped by making more adjustments. 

Don’t be afraid to keep going back to ask them to change the plate for you if it’s uncomfortable or not working properly.

Hi SarahLou

Sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery but you will be in good hands with your experienced team.

I did not have the same cancer as you but had jaw cancer. After my first maxillectomyI I had a mould made by my specialist dentist before the surgery for an an obturator which sounds the same as the dental plate you mentioned. This was to cover the hole in the roof of my mouth. Like MaiT I could not drink or eat or speak clearly without it and also had the occasional issue of fluid coming out of my nose but not badly. The first obturator I had made was put in during my surgery although it was removable so I could clean it. This one was not a fantastic fit because of the swelling that had to go down after the surgery.  The second one I had made a few months after the surgery was a fantastic fit and I had very few issues with it and rarely had fluid come out of my nose. My eating did change and I was only able to manage soft foods but this was because I had already lost teeth on the other side of my jaw because of previous surgery. 

Like MaiT says if you have issues with the obturator go back to your specialist dentist as he/she will be able to sort it out for you.

Best wishes for the surgery.

Lyn

Thanks so much for getting back to me. That’s really reassuring to here that knowing more about the procedure made you feel more confident. I have my discussion with the consultant tomorrow regarding the surgery. 

The dental plate does not sound the most pleasant and I know how painful it was just after a biopsy so I feel under no illusion how painful and difficult it will be post op. That’s good to know you see a dentist who can alter the plate to make things more comfortable. 

Hope life is treating you well now! 

Hi Sophie66  thanks so much for messaging! I hope you are managing okay now. It sounds quite tricky getting the fit of the plate right but like Mait said it’s good to know you can get the dentist to alter the fit / position of it. It sounds like my diet will have to be liquid / softs for the foreseeable! 

All the best 

Sarah