SCC right buccal mucosa

Hello everyone, I noticed that there isn’t much info related to buccal mucosa SCC at stage 1 with no spread (thankfully) to the lymph nodes - so here goes regarding my experience! I am in my 60s and had a white patch on the inside of my right cheek which my dentist treated as a type of thrush. This was in 2019. Then lockdowns came and I didn’t get to see my dentist for almost 2 years. Then the white patch became a mouth ulcer which wouldn’t go away despite treatment by the dentist (mouth washes) so finally last November I was referred for a biopsy which occurred 10 days later. A week after that, just before Xmas, I was told it was cancer and I would need an MRI and CT scan to see if it was in my lymph nodes. Great relief at the end of December when I was told no spread and so was lined up for an operation to take out the cancer in my mouth. This took place at the beginning of February. The NHS Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon made a wide excision and applied a temporary surgical pack, which I tried to keep in place by eating really mushy food and eating on the left side. I did salt water mouth rinses 4 times a day and the sutures dissolved just over 2 weeks later. Whilst this all sounds very straightforward, I have to say it hasn’t been a very nice experience and the swelling and scarring is very painful. My doctor said the two worst places are the mouth and “down there”! I was on sleeping tablets, morphine and ibuprofen (with laxatives) for the first 2 weeks, paracetamol thereafter I was absolutely exhausted all the time. Eating was a necessity, not a pleasure, and I lost over a stone in weight. I have to keep opening my mouth as wide as possible to prevent the scarring closing my mouth opening - although my husband probably wouldn’t mind! Recovery is very slow and talking too much aggravates things. I am normally on the go all the time but have had to listen to my body and slow right down. I think it will be several weeks until I am anywhere near to normal. I have been able to clean my teeth normally now and eating less mushy food. Anyway, that’s my story. You‘ll be pleased to know that they got it all out and so from hereon I will have meetings with the NHS surgeon every 6 weeks 1st year, 8 weeks second year, 10 weeks 3rd year, 4 monthly 4th year and 6 monthly 5th year.If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.

MacMillan have been fantastic and they are currently funding for a year, as a trial, the most amazing nurse who has been an incredible practical support both in terms of getting pain relief quickly from my GP and visits to check on progress and kept my morale up as much as possible. I have also had a buddy and counselling via MacMillan, when first diagnosed, which has been an enormous help. Thank you so much, MacMillan. I hope to give back in the not too distant future with fundraising etc. So grateful.