The Longest Week.

[Mitch f]

 Praying for you man!

[MOsmallies]

Very, very sorry to hear this... Sending prayers and good thoughts your way! Get well soon!!

[rps]

Again - best wishes! Get well! Go fishing and hunting!

[jdmidwest]

8 hours ago, Greasy B said:

Good luck JD, need you to bounce back so you can continue to not tell me where you catch those big Tennessee Smallmouth. 

Just in case I don't pull thru.  Its Pickwick Lake for the most part.  And the Tennessee River below the dam. 

It was a goofy year down there this year.  They were working on dam and messing up the water flows. 

Next year I want to go further up around Muscle Shoals and try for them there.   I fished TN more this year than any other state.

[MOPanfisher]

JD, Barnes is a great hospital, it was between Barnes and KU for me and KU was more convenient, but they are good, follow drs. Instructions even if you don't feel up to it.

[jdmidwest]

Barnes pioneered this tongue procedure, I have faith in them. I just want the cancer out so I can return to normal. 

[jdmidwest]

3 weeks later and alls well.  Prayers have been answered and fulfilled many times over.  Thanks to all that have kept me in their prayers.

The surgery took about 9 hours as expected and 3 hours in recovery.  2 more days in ccu unit then out to a private room.  By Thursday, I was weaning myself off pain meds to clear my head.  I walked out of Barnes 1 week later under my own power with a feeding tube in my nose and a trach in my throat.  Doctors said I had responded and recovered to the surgery as well as anyone could have, a perfect patient.  I met alot of nice people there and am thoroughly impressed with the care I received at Barnes.

On Dec. 9, I went back for a followup visit.  The lymph nodes taken showed no signs of cancer in them, so the prognosis was no further chemo or radiation would be necessary.  I am believed to be cancer free, surgery got it all.  They removed the trach, cast off the arm, and feeding tube and I felt like a new man.  I drove home.

I still have some recovery to do.  The arm needs some work, but I am able to type this.  All fingers work and things are gaining strength. Speech is pretty good.  Eating is a chore with the new tongue, it is a little fuller than the original and tends to wad stuff up in the roof on my mouth.  You don't really realize the part that it plays in chewing, drinking, and swallowing.  But I will learn to live with it.

Here are some pics of the tongue before and after, and some of my scars.  The divot out of my arm was used to build the new tongue portion, the square out of the leg was used to cover the divot. 

One little word of advice.  Don't ignore any sore on your body very long.  Have it checked out by a professional.  Cancer grows very quick.

[fishinwrench]

Good to hear that you're back home, JD. 

[Mitch f]

Glad you're back home! Prognosis looks good!

[BilletHead]

       Thanks for the report JD. We have been wondering about your progress. Photos pretty graphic. Maybe it will scare the crap out of some on here. Not that it can happen to the most healthiest people but those that push the edge may take another look at there habits. Now to those that take this statement and makes them mad you can't argue with the facts. Keep us updated and may you continue to heal nicely!

BilletHead's