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suzannekay753 avatar

Is anyone experiencing osteoradionecrosis (ORN)?

Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Sep 16 6:20am | Replies (37)
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Profile picture for pauley @pauley

I had orn surgery a week ago today. I was in the icu until yesterday and am in a regular room now. It was 12 hour surgery and recovery is proving to be very difficult. I did have 6 posts inserted on the bottom in hopes of getting a permanent denture in 4 to 8 months.
I'm being told that the healing is going well. My face and neck are so swollen I look like a cartoon character!
They put the feeding tube in my nose and I have a trake.
Im hoping they will both be out by the weekend and that I can go home. I'm doing swallowing test and the trake is red capped.
This may sound good, however it's been a miserable painful experience.
I will keep you all updated.
God have mercy and bless us all!

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Replies to "I had orn surgery a week ago today. I was in the icu until yesterday and..."
jeffvalvassori | @jeffvalvassori | Aug 27 6:49pm

Thank you for sharing this. I’m So Sorry that you’re going through this and I’m Praying for a Full and Speedy Recovery for You.

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William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Aug 28 9:40am

Hi @pauley I'm sure by now the thought has gone through your head "What have I done to myself?" or similar. The feeding tube, what a joy that is to deal with. You try to wrap it around your ear during a shower but manage to snag it anyway. Then you get soap in your trach. Ouch! Meanwhile everything hurts. You look in the mirror and you see the Elephant Man!
Amazingly it gets better and it does so rather quickly compared to what got you to this point in the first place. A month from now you will feel a heck of a lot better than you do now. By Halloween you will wish you still looked like you do now, just to scare the kids, haha.
I'm headed up to Mayo Clinic this morning for a five year check up for the same surgery. I have the rather common occurrence of flap tissue growing around my prosthesis, which must be ablated from time to time. I've finally got used to the numbness in my lower lip but still find it difficult to hold a steady note on the bugle. Anyway, better days ahead for you my friend. Courage.

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