MD Anderson--Trip #5--Incision Check

We had our post surgery follow up appt last week and when they took off the steri-strips from the incision site, the part which has a "skin island" (a piece of skin they took off during surgery and then put back), was looking a little bluish instead of nice and pink. They told us to watch it over the weekend and if the skin starts getting darker that the "skin island" was not taking and could be dying. By Sunday night it was no longer pink and we decided to head back to Houston 1st thing Monday morning to have it checked out.

So I called as soon as the office opened at 7:30am and was told to come on over to have it checked out. We head out to Houston for a check-up and was back home around 8pm. The doctor was ok with the way it was healing, said it should scab over and peel off and be fine underneath. Clean often with peroxide and apply Bactroban twice a day were the orders.

Still looks yucky to me! :)

MD Anderson--Trip #4--Follow-up and........

It's been a long week waiting patiently for pathology results. Knowing that the enlarged lymph node they had found during surgery COULD indicate that the cancer had spread made it even harder.

The Physician's Assistant walked in and said..."everything is negative, nothing was found anywhere, in any of the tissue or lymph nodes". ALL GONE!!

CANCER FREE!!!!!

We were soooo relieved and thankful. So glad that we made the decision to go to Houston. The last 3 months seems like it has been 3 years.

July 14--Appt with pediatrician for lump in neck along jawline, sent for labs, ultrasound of area
July 15--Referral to surgeon to have mass removed
July 19--See surgeon with initial diagnosis of Branchial Cleft Cyst
July 29--Outpatient surgery with mass removed and sent for pathology
August 4--Get call from surgeon, told over the phone that is was cancer.
August 5--Follow-up appt and plan discussed for total parotidectomy at end of August
August 15-25--Made plans and contacted MD Anderson for referral due to intensive delicate surgical procedure involving the facial nerve.
Sept 2-3--Initial appts with surgeon, Dr. Stephen Lai at MD Anderson, labs, ultrasound, CT scans
Sept 23-24--Appts with Radiation Oncologist, Dr McAleer and schedule surgery with surgeon for Oct 15
Oct 15-18--Surgery on the 15th, hospital stay until the 17th, home to Louisiana on the 18th.
Oct 21--Follow-up to surgery---CANCER FREEEEEE!!!!!