Squamous cell carcinoma top right pallette

Dear tomatoes , I am so sorry you have had to go through thisxx I don't know about what you are going through, but any kind of cancer is horrible anyway.  Thinking of you, and well done for sharingxxx

Hi Tomatoes welcome to our small community group?sorry you’ve found yourself here. . I’m Hazel almist 5 years into remission for tonsil cancer with several affected lymph nodes. I had 35 radio therapy sessions and two chemo ,treatment is hard. I was 61 when diagnosed if I can do it anyone can I’m a wimp. Try not to think too far in advance and day at a time. I’m sure some of our fellow mouth cancer people will Pop on with advice my blog below might help you with the side effects of radiotherapy. Recovery can take on average 6 months is a good benchmark to work towards. 
Any questions just ask 

hugs Hazel x 

Hi Tomatoes Fair play your on the road to recovery. I would take a step back and give yourself a big pat on the back. You have been through serious surgery. Dont be thinking negative thoughts , just take one day at a time and go with the flow and you will be alright. Think of it as a new opportunity to change your life and  job . All the Best Regards Minmax

Good evening Tomatoes12, first of all well done in getting through the surgery and reconstruction, i had my lower jaw reconstructed and like you my teeth were removed ( lower set). I found that the numbness and swelling gradually went down as the body recovers, i avoided mirrors due to the swelling as it helped me forget how i looked. I waited 18 months before they fitted implants so it gave my jaw plenty of time to settle in. Try not to think about work just yet as its still very early days, get the radiotherapy done first, and then concentrate on the road to recovery taking it one day at a time. Wishing you all the best, take care.

                                                                                             Chris x

Thank you for your support. Much appreciated. 

Thank you for your support. Much appreciated. 

Thank you for your support. Much appreciated. 

Hi and welcome from me too

Tomatoes12 said:

I am  also worried about the radiotherapy and how much it will affect me. 

There’s no doubt treatment is a challenge but the side effects can be managed. Realistically it becomes difficult or impossible to eat so many of us are tube fed. I had a nasogastric tube from week four for eight weeks. I took my pain killers by the clock and kept my mouth as clean as I could. I got through and was near my old self by six months. 

Hi Tomatoes12

I had a similar surgery to you,  but not the palate reconstruction - I had a dental obturator for my restoration. I found too I had numbness and swelling  on the side of the face I was operated on. It did take some time for the inflammation to go down after my surgery and then the  swelling went down on that side of my face. The numbness improved  for me as the inflammation reduced. It can take some time. At the moment your speech will be a little different due to your  reconstruction op healing and ongoing recovery. You are still very early days after your op. The speech improves further  when you  are restored with your dental implants. Try not to worry too much ahead with the job prospects for now I know how these uncertainties can make us feel. You can always speak to your consultant too of any worries and your speech and language therapist will be there to help with advice too.

Best wishes 

Nicky

Hi Tomatoes 12

As the others have said it is early days for your recovery and things will improve and the swelling will go down. The speech will improve too. I also had my palate removed and all the teeth taken out. This is my second maxillectomy and for the first I had a dental obturator like Nicky but for the second maxillectomy I had a graft taken from my arm to cover the hole in the roof of my mouth. Sometimes my speech is a bit ‘iffy’ but on the whole there are no problems now. I am also waiting for dental implants but a bit different to you as I also need another obturator to attach to them. They probably won’t go down the road of the implants for you until after the radiotherapy as your mouth will need time to recover.

I have found that there is a change of sensation on the side of my face which has not gone away but I have got used to it and it does not bother me.

How are you coping with eating? I have found that with no teeth in my upper jaw and teeth only on one side of my lower jaw (courtesy of another op) that I can only manage puree. However once the implants are in and the obturator in place I am hoping to be able to manage some foods with more texture. I am managing fine with the puree and have found a menu that suits me. I top up with Sustagen for the calories and my weight is stable.

The radiotherapy can be rough but can be different for everyone in relation to the side effects. Take the pain medication prescribed by your doctor religiously and you will get through. You will get lots of advice here so ask away as someone will be experiencing something similar. You are definitely not alone.

Best wishes

Lyn