The Longest Week.

[jdmidwest]

Back in August, I broke a tooth on a weekend trip.  It irritated my tongue something awful, then it became infected.  It swelled up one night to the point I was having trouble breathing.  The next morning, I called a dentist and a doctor.  The dentist was a day wait, my doc gave me an antibiotic.  The dentist pulled my tooth the next day.  But the tongue stayed raw and irritated.  I did another round of antibiotic the first of October because I was still seeing an infection. 
 

When the tongue still failed to heal, I made a return to the dentist.  That was last Friday around 2.  His advice was to proceed to the emergency room, check in, and ask for an Oncologist.  I did, and at 8 o'clock, walked out with a second opinion.  I was referred to a Ear, Nose, Throat specialist on Monday that did a biopsy. 

Results came in this afternoon, squamous cell cancer of the tongue.  So far, it seems to be limited to the tongue in about a half dollar size area.   Looking forward to losing half of my tongue or more and the lymph nodes in my neck area.  I will find all that out next week at Washington U.

Any thoughts or prayers will be greatly appreciated.

For the record, I did use smokeless tobacco while fishing and hunting, but not much.  They seem to think it may have been the cause.  Something to think about when you go to buy your next can of dip.  Losing half a tongue will make it hard to  blow a duck call.

[fishinwrench]

II hate to hear that, JD.  I bet that is miserable, but IMO doctors are full of $#it more often than not.    This condition started because you scraped your tongue raw and then it became infected, so personally I would mouthwash with peroxide and brush my teeth 5-6 times a day, eat right and just let my body heal itself.     

No way in hell would I allow anyone to go cutting on me unless I was about to die anyway. And that includes any biopsy.

Them automatically blaming it on a little bit of chew is rediculis.  

[MOPanfisher]

darn JD, I did a little round with the doctors at KU Med this spring, at first their methodology turned me off, but they knew what they were doing.  And while I can appreciate Wrench's outlook the doctors there did a fantastic job, words like complete remission were used.   So I will most definitely be praying for you and a complete and speedy recovery.  BTW I smoked and chewed Redman like a fiend but the Dr. said mine was a type that had nothing to do with it bad habits, just bad luck.  Although some days the cure seems worse than the disease, hang in there and beat it's butt.

[rps]

Tongue don't matter when it comes to fish, food, or friends. Get well.

[Foghorn]

JD, sending out prayers for your rapid recovery. My wife is a two time breast cancer survivor who at 110# might be the toughest person I know. The first round they did the mastectomy and took out the lymph nodes on the right side. She isn't supposed to lift over 10# with the right arm but she fought big king salmon like a pro. The 2nd time , the radiologist seemed more like a used car salesman trying to convince us about multiple doses of radiation after the surgeon was sure he got all of the disease. It might be tough sledding for a while but you can do it. You have a heck of a support group here. 

[ness]

Sorry to hear that, JD. Prayers are on the way. 

[BilletHead]

     Listen to the doctors JD. Like Foghorn my wife is now a nine year survivor as of Tuesdays visit with the oncologist. God bless you and prayers from the Western part of the state,

BilletHeads

[jdmidwest]

Thanks all. Who really knows what causes it nowadays. But the dip will never get a second chance. 

All of the waiting is the hardest part, I just want it out of me before it spreads. 

[jdmidwest]

Final testing and pre-op testing last Thurs.

2/3 of my tongue will be removed.  A chunk of my inner forearm will be taken and placed in the void of my tongue.  A patch from my thigh will be grafted to cover the arm, then the arm will be placed in a cast to immobilize while the graft heals.  Lymph nodes will be removed from my neck.  I will have a trach tube and a feeding tube for 5-7 days.  9 hours of surgery with a week in the hospital.

Hopefully, they get it all at that time.  There is a good chance I will recover voice and other tongue functions.

 

[Flysmallie]

Well that sucks. Good luck. I hope everything goes well.