Hi Burrow

Its the hardest thing to watch your children, no matter what age they are, go through illness like cancer. It will be harder on you than it will be on him. I've been through this surgery myself but it took five hours not ten. It takes a long time because the surgeons have to be very careful not to damage the many nerves that are in the neck. I was then in hospital for 5 days. The skill of surgeons and theatre technicians and the medical equipment available today is such that you need not worry, your son will come through this OK. The surgeons will cut his face in such a way that when the scars heal up they will hardly be visible. If all the cancer is cut out he has a good chance of carrying on having a good life. I'm 15 months on from my operation and subsequent treatment and am living life to the full. I have a few problems but who doesn't. Wish you and your son good fortune. Kim

Thanks Kim for your info.  I'm glad you are doing good.  I think my son's will be a little different because he had his radiation after they thought they had taken out all the cancer.  So now, the radiation has messed up his jaw bone & they will have to also replace some of his jaw bone with one of his bones.  Did you also have the tract & feeding tube?  The doctors say that my son's is unusal.  It is unusal what radiation will do to you if you have to take so much.  His treatments were stronger than usual & he took 30 treatments, one every day for 30 days.  I just hate the fact that they will have to do this to my son. It sounds like to me that UK is more advanaced than here in the USin the medical field. I am praying that God were perform a supernatural healing of this cancer before he gets the surgery.  I don't know your faith, but I believe in God.

Thanks so much Kim.  You be Blessed.   Barbara

Thanks Kim for your info.  I'm glad you are doing good.  I think my son's will be a little different because he had his radiation after they thought they had taken out all the cancer.  So now, the radiation has messed up his jaw bone & they will have to also replace some of his jaw bone with one of his bones.  Did you also have the tract & feeding tube?  The doctors say that my son's is unusal.  It is unusal what radiation will do to you if you have to take so much.  His treatments were stronger than usual & he took 30 treatments, one every day for 30 days.  I just hate the fact that they will have to do this to my son. It sounds like to me that UK is more advanaced than here in the USin the medical field. I am praying that God were perform a supernatural healing of this cancer before he gets the surgery.  I don't know your faith, but I believe in God.

Thanks so much Kim.  You be Blessed.   Barbara

Hello again Barbara

I'm sorry to hear your son has such a major operation ahead including having to have some bone implanted in his jaw. The radiotherapy does kill off much your jawbone it called osteoradionecrosis. I too have this side effect from my treatment of 30 sessions of radiotherapy. I didn't have a feed tube but many here have, and if you are worried you could ask Vatch here or several others, all seem to have got on well and eventually started eating again normally. I'm sure that US healthcare is every bit as good as here in the UK. I'm afraid he is unlikely to spontaneously get better before his operation but you could say a prayer for the surgeons whose skill will deliver your son back to you and his family. I hope you are getting lots of support from your loved ones, February 9th will soon be here and gone and your son will be on the road to recovery. All the best Kim

Thank you Kim & I hope you continue to get better with each day.

Hope all went well today x

Thinking of you and your son .  With best wishes.

Hi Burrow

Along with gerimc and Pauline4 we are thinking of you and your son today.

Best wishes to you both,

Jane