I went in for surgery Monday. They started around 1:30 PM and ended around 5:30 PM. I didn't get to speak with my ENT that performed the surgery afterward but I spoke with a resident doctor. He said the surgery went as expected. He said they were very aggressive, more so than a normal tonsillectomy, removing all the tonsils on the right side to make sure they get all of the cancer. Feels like they drove a bus down my throat. He said they also removed all the lymph nodes in the right side of my neck. The pathologist on premises didn't find squamous cells in the slice of tumor he took but he's 90%+ sure that they will when they send the tissue to the lab. That will be in about a week.
The off-site pathologist will go through the tonsil tissue and each one my lymph nodes under a microscope to determine the direction of any future treatment. It should take about a week until I get the results.
I was told that there was some risk of nerve damage to the right side of my jaw and right shoulder but those areas weren't effected. I did notice, while I was putting on my shirt to check out of the surgical center, that my right ear was numb. So I guess if you're going to have something to go numb the ear would be the best case scenario. You don't have to move it and you don't use it to feel things.
At around 2:00 AM that night I was up and about walking the halls a bit. The nurses said walking its good because it prevents blood clots. So I continued to walk every few hours.
Throat is expectedly sore so I'm on a liquid diet for now. Pain level is low though it's difficult, uncomfortable, for me to speak. I think because they took out so much tonsil tissue. I'm able to drink and eat (jello, sherbet) a bit. It's more awkward than painful. I'll be on this diet for about a week then I'll move to a soft food diet. Oatmeal, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, etc.
I'm on antibiotics, hydrocodone pain killer and Tylenol. I can't take the hydrocodone pain killer during the day because it puts me to sleep, so I'm only using it at night which helps me sleep. It also burns when going down so I'm chasing it with aloe water which feels really good. I'm taking children's Tylenol because it comes in a suspension and is easier to swallow than pills. I'm just adjusting the dosage for an adult. It also doesn't put me to sleep and doesn't thin my blood so if I do start bleeding in my throat it will hopefully stop faster. And the Antibiotics are obviously to prevent any infection from creeping in.
I'm home now and trying to adjust to the medication schedule, sleeping and taking it easy. I'm not supposed to lift more than ten pound to prevent sutures in my neck from popping open so I'm constantly having to remind myself not to do or lift things that I usually do everyday without thinking.
No comments:
Post a Comment