Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The somber news: I met two of the three surgeons who will perform my operation. The amount of tissue which must be removed will not allow me to have a prosthetic eye. It seems instead a graft of tissue will be borrowed from my right thigh, to include skin, muscle, nerves and arteries. This graft will fill the cavity left by my surgery. I will have a relatively normal looking face when all is said and done, but my left eye will be a smooth patch of skin. I will likely wear an eye patch (AARRGGHH!)
More somber news: The surgery and subsequent pain will come and go. The radiation therapy after the surgery, however, is traumatic and permanent. I will in addition to the loss of my left eye, suffer loss of my sense of smell and much of my sense of taste. I will also lose much of my hearing (left ear only). Dr. K says things will sound muffled, but not completely deaf. I will also have no eyelashes or eyelids anymore (again, left side only), because the radiation kills the follicles. I might even lose patches of hair on my head, depending on the angle of the radiation when administered.
The verdict: I am not going to try to convince anyone this does not suck. So far, I am down an eye, an ear and my sense of taste and smell. This said I have to remember things could be much, much worse. If I were to count some of my blessings, they would include the following:
I am alive.
My wife and son are okay (except J broke her toe two days ago)
I have good health insurance
I have short-term and long-term disability at work (and FMLA)
I have the Mayo Clinic available to me.
My cancer has not spread beyond my lone tumor, and is operable.
My support group is awesome. I simply can not imagine doing this alone.
Eye patches are sexy. Ask anyone.
That is it for now. It has been a bittersweet day for J and me. There likely will not be much to report until surgery on
Been wanting to ask: Is a Pet Scan when they combine your Lab work and your Cat scan? :)
Hang in there!!
We are still praying big time for you. I have been trying to contact you. Call me. I am there for you. Anytime, anywhere!
Keep fighting.
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