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Anyone had a surgical palatal obturator during surgery?

Posted by jadwyer @jadwyer, May 19 11:02am

Has anyone been given a surgical palatal pbturator during surgery to remove a cancer?

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jadwyer | @jadwyer | May 21 1:08pm

I hope that will stop the liquid from coming down his nose. Poor man! Does he have to have any more treatments or was surgery the treatment?

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roxanne43 | @roxanne43 | May 22 7:59am
In reply to @jadwyer "I hope that will stop the liquid from coming down his nose. Poor man! Does he..." + (show)
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I hope that will stop the liquid from coming down his nose. Poor man! Does he have to have any more treatments or was surgery the treatment?

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@jadwyer the liquid is still coming after 2 years. At first it was not all the time but since last Sept. with this obturator the leakage is terrible. I have had so many adjustments but the team at U of M said this is normal. NOT MY NORMAL I hope that he will have better luck than I have.

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roxanne43 | @roxanne43 | May 22 8:03am
In reply to @pamelaaci "@jadwyer They operated on the small palate through his mouth but also slit his throat to..." + (show)
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@jadwyer They operated on the small palate through his mouth but also slit his throat to pull out all the lymph nodes to be sure nothing was left behind. Throat scar has healed very well. Yes, he speaks well, but they warned it would be more nasal voice and it is more nasal (due to the 2 cm hole in the back of his mouth) . Hopefully the device will stop the aspiration with liquids and from what they say will help correct the more nasal sound. What is frustrating is when drinks more than small sips some of the liquid runs down his nose, therefore won't drink anything without having a paper towel nearby.....Hoping your surgery goes well!

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@pamelaaci A straw helps a lot. Even use one for coffee. My voice is ok, but it doesn't sound like I remember sounding. Some words don't come out right.

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pamelaaci | @pamelaaci | May 22 8:42am
In reply to @roxanne43 "@pamelaaci A straw helps a lot. Even use one for coffee. My voice is ok, but..." + (show)
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@pamelaaci A straw helps a lot. Even use one for coffee. My voice is ok, but it doesn't sound like I remember sounding. Some words don't come out right.

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@roxanne43 thank you — will try straws more often and may help. His voice is ok too , just not what it was before…

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carolfutrell | @carolfutrell | May 22 8:48am

had radiation for salivary gland ACC OF NECK CANCER now dr did signatera test. Does he suspect cancer on 6
mm nodules in lungs?

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jadwyer | @jadwyer | May 22 1:01pm
In reply to @pamelaaci "@roxanne43 thank you — will try straws more often and may help. His voice is ok..." + (show)
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@roxanne43 thank you — will try straws more often and may help. His voice is ok too , just not what it was before…

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@pamelaaci how are you coping? This is a lot to deal with.

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pamelaaci | @pamelaaci | May 23 8:18am
In reply to @jadwyer "@pamelaaci how are you coping? This is a lot to deal with." + (show)
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@pamelaaci how are you coping? This is a lot to deal with.

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@jadwyer yes, and adrenaline helps! The travel we planned for retirement changed to travels to Dr appointments….

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jadwyer | @jadwyer | May 25 12:10pm
In reply to @pamelaaci "@jadwyer yes, and adrenaline helps! The travel we planned for retirement changed to travels to Dr..." + (show)
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@jadwyer yes, and adrenaline helps! The travel we planned for retirement changed to travels to Dr appointments….

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@pamelaaci

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sarahbee56 | @sarahbee56 | May 30 7:58am

I had a partial maxillectomy not quite two weeks ago to remove what was confirmed to be a small chondroblastic osteosarcoma (rare!). Before surgery I went to the recommended prosthodontist so he could make the obturator that would be wired into place during surgery. So yes, I woke up from surgery with the obturator in place. It stayed there until my post-surgery appointment a few days ago. Now it’s not wired in so I can take it out to clean it THANKFULLY. I’ve been living on pureed soups, pureed cottage cheese, jello and protein drinks mostly. Now I can eat soft pasta and mashed things. A very helpful idea I saw shortly after surgery was to have club soda on hand for gently swishing away the awful taste in my mouth. Drinking flavored seltzer is helpful for that too. Good luck!!

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pamelaaci | @pamelaaci | May 31 6:56am
In reply to @sarahbee56 "I had a partial maxillectomy not quite two weeks ago to remove what was confirmed to..." + (show)
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I had a partial maxillectomy not quite two weeks ago to remove what was confirmed to be a small chondroblastic osteosarcoma (rare!). Before surgery I went to the recommended prosthodontist so he could make the obturator that would be wired into place during surgery. So yes, I woke up from surgery with the obturator in place. It stayed there until my post-surgery appointment a few days ago. Now it’s not wired in so I can take it out to clean it THANKFULLY. I’ve been living on pureed soups, pureed cottage cheese, jello and protein drinks mostly. Now I can eat soft pasta and mashed things. A very helpful idea I saw shortly after surgery was to have club soda on hand for gently swishing away the awful taste in my mouth. Drinking flavored seltzer is helpful for that too. Good luck!!

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@sarahbee56 did you have any issues with swallowing liquids with the obturator? This is the issue husband is having and hoping a small palate obturator will solve the problem.

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