looks like i'll beat cancer

[Norm M]

 8 days after surgery and the shoulder seems fine, no pain or loss of range of motion . I do have a little bit of a stiff neck but I think that is because they just took  the clips out of the incision on the neck . I was so scared I would rip one out while sleeping that I had been sleeping in weird positions .  I couldn't wash my hair or take a full shower until the clips came out . Man , that hot shower with clean hair made me feel human again .

the tongue does dry out at night, I keep a thermocup of ice water next to the bed . When the dryness wakes me , I don't even have to get out of bed . Well not at least until it's woke me once too often and I have to git rid of some of the water . So I'm still sleeping in segments, have not slept thru on any night . As far as taste , I'm starting to be able to make some distinctions.  I guess only time will tell on that .

 

[jdmidwest]

My soft diet was a feeding tube for 3 weeks in the nose.  Took about an hour to drain a can of food down and did it 5 times a day.  They took the tube out the day they took the trach out.  Nothing went in the mouth for 3 weeks total, not even liquid.  I could not even brush teeth for first week.  After that, I gradually worked up to solid food in a week or so.  I still chew mostly on the other side since the new tongue has no feeling, even when you bite a chunk out of it.  Mine was 1/3 also.  Starting at tip, down middle, over to rear teeth, then down to the base of it where attaches to gums, actually half of visible tongue.

My staples came out on day 5.  The tongue still dries out, but does not bother me as much of a night.

I see they used donor tissue to make your tongue.  Mine, they took a 3"x4" chunk of muscle from the inside of my right wrist with a vein all the way back to my elbow.  I then had to rehab my casting and shooting arm back into shape.

[jdmidwest]

And there are the nice black hairs that grow on the new portion of the tongue.  Those would have died if radiation was needed.  The tongue is a little large, they put extra in.  Radiation would have shrunk that too.

[Norm M]

 I never got the tube thru the nose, thankfully . first meal the hospital brought me in the recovery room was grits, orange juice and coffee , their idea of a soft diet .

so fat it's been chocolate milkshakes with ensure added for nutrients but definitely not taste, homemade chicken broth , green jello and progressing to mash taters/gravy with some small pieces of chicken . my wife is making me some homemade chicken noodle soup right now . my doc says increase the range of diet as I can tolerate it .

 I changed up to some thinner pillows and some sessions with a heating pad and the stiff neck is improving .

I found that if I don't eat at least a little something every so often , I get headaches . wouldn't be surprised if my body is telling I've lost too much weight , better increase the intake . I used to be able to make it on eating twice a day, that doesn't cut it anymore .

 they gave me a rinse chlorahexidine for my mouth. supposed to be an antibacterial and just to sweep any food particles out . I can definitely tell that stuff tastes like crap. doc says I likely will never have full taste again, with that stuff it's a relief .

 

 all in all, I'm like you, I'd rather be a survivor and deal with stuff like this .

 

 

[Paparock]

Praise God! That is great news. Many more great years of life and fishing to you!