Enough already!

Surprise! It turns out there was another tumor, or else a new one popped up. I've just returned home from a second surgery at Mt Sinai. This one more radical than the last. In the previous round Dr. Genden was able to rebuild my tongue using other parts of my tongue. Recovery was quick - I was working again by week 4. This time i am not so "lucky".

The latest go-round started with a positive result on my post-op PET scan in early March (surgery was in Nov. 2010) showing continuing activity on the right base of my tongue, where the original tumor was. Very briefly we considered waiting and getting another PET in a couple of months, in the hope it was a false positive. Then common sense quickly kicked in and we scheduled a follow-up biopsy with Dr. Genden. He took samples at three sites, 2 where radiation and surgery had been previously performed and one, seemingly at random, from a slightly more central part of my tongue base.

You guessed it! The new site showed what Dr. Genden called a "fragment", either a free-floating particle of cancer or a piece of another tumor. Surgery was scheduled immediately. That happened on Friday, March 25.

As I said, this surgery was more complicated. Dr. Genden found a wide flat tumor, which he removed, replacing part of the tongue with a graft from my leg. To get proper access he had to open my jaw down the middle, an option longtime fans of this blog will remember as one of the treament options offered early in my history, as an alternative to radiation. Now I've been able to have both!

I have a trach to help with breathing, because my new tongue is still very swollen and unmanageable. And it's back to my ol' pal the PEG tube for my daily 7 or 8 cans of Gevity liquid food replacement. Other than an itch from the trach it's not too bad. Swelling is diminishing. My face is starting to return to something of it's original shape. Betsy, Esther, friends and neighbors, relatives, collaegues -- everyone has been incredibly helpful and supportive through this difficult time. I thank you all.

On Thursday Betsy and I return to Mt. Sinai for post-op follow-up.