Newly Diagnosed -spouse diagnosed with Retromolar Trigone cancer

Hi Immy. Welcome to the group that none of us wanted to join but here we are. I had tonsil cancer with sever affected lymph nodes. I can totally get where your heads are at the minute. Your entire world has fallen apart but in my case once we got my treatment plan everything fell into place. As for sleeping I had nightmare most  nights until I had treatment plan. 

I can’t help with your hubby’s specific cancer  mine was squamous cell oropharangheal with the tumour being in the tonsil crypt.
once mri and ct scan 

Theres quite a few who have had  mandibular cancers I will tag a couple of them

please try ti keep off dr google as the info unless you  know  where ti look can scare you  

• chris2012  @Sophie66 hopefully will pop on later. 
  If you need to rant pop on here ir any questions just ask. 
  Hugs Hazel 
• please keep iff Dr Google you’ll scare yourself unless you know where to look. 

Hi. Thanks so much for replying.  Maybe there will be a  treatment plan for us hopefully in a few weeks time.  Trouble is the wait isn't it?.  I'm the type who likes to find out everything if I have a problem but I know Dr Google can drive you mad with worry. I am so please that you are now happily getting on with your life. It shows that there might be hope for my husband.  I will have a read of your blog thanks for the link. Best Wishes.

 Hi Immy, welcome from me too. I have been here on the forum for four years and in all that time I can’t recall anybody with cancer in the retromolar trigone. I’ve just done a search and there is one post over four years ago so I’m afraid this forum might be little help. The RMT is at the junction of your top and bottom jaws behind the last molar but I’m sure you know that. It’s why surgery has to be so extensive and involve reconstruction. 
Google is probably not a good place to be looking. It’s horrid to have to wait for results and prognosis. The only thing you can do is try to keep busy. There is absolutely nothing you can do to change things. 
Having said that surgeons and oncologists are really rather exceptional in dealing with things like this so try to trust your team for now. 
We are stronger than we think. You will surprise yourself how much you will be able to support your husband. 
There are organisations like the Swallows and here in Macmillan who have a strong carer section who can support you. 
I hope you get an answer soon. Stay with us and we will help where we can. 
Best wishes 

Hi Dani and thanks.  From the information you state about RMT do you mean both the top and lower jaw both will have to be reconstructed usually?

Hi Immy no problem. Yes the  waiting is by far the worst part it’s the fear of the unknown. It creeps upon you at Al times if the day or night. Try to keep busy we binge watched game if thrones just for something to do. No idea what ur was about but kept us both busy. As Dani says in the U.K. we gave sone excellent cancer specialists. Where is your hubby being treated ? If you don’t mind saying 

The swallows group is also an  excellent point of reference for both if you  

Hazel x

Hi Hazel

His treatment if they can do it will be in James Cook University Hospital in Teesside we think. 

Immy x

Hi Immy. My hubby used to work at Boulby potash mine near Staithes so yes we know the area. We lived for a time at Easington. I do know a few cancer patients head and neck who were treated at James Cook. 
Trust your team take a pen and notebook to every consultation don’t leave until you’re satisfied with their answers. 
Hazel x

Hi immy. It depends on the spread. Only the scan will tell you. Hopefully not. Hazel has said to trust your team and she is right. Your husband will have a specialist nurse assigned to him. It might be worth giving her a ring to explain what the surgical options are 

Hi Hazel and Dani.

Hazel small world eh? We are in Redcar!. Did the cancer patients you know have a good experience at James Cook?  Thanks for the advice we will make sure we get all the answers we need. There's just so many questions we keep thinking and until the scan results we will not be told what is available treatment wise so after we get all that thrown at us we will most likely leave without asking everything.  I always feel I have to hurry up when asking questions in medical consultations as you will only get a certain time limit. This is especially true of consultants I think.  We have got telephone numbers though for the Macmillan team at James Cook if we need to ask anything.

 Dani - yes I agree we will not know what they can do if anything until the scans are back. 

immy1 said:

I always feel I have to hurry up when asking questions in medical consultations as you will only get a certain time limit. This is especially true of consultants I think. 

It might be gene rally but it’s not my experience with cancer. Most people I’ve talked to found that time was made, especially early on. My consultant has been spot  on with explaining stuff. Take your time and take pen  and paper. There’s a lot to take in.