Dr. Gross, PET & PAT

Today was a long day, but learned a few things. Angie joined us for most of the appointment with Dr. Gross. He said if the PET scan showed anything, they would not operate but do chemo therapy. However, he didn't think anything would show up. Otherwise the surgery would begin about 7:30 AM on September 24 (Curt has to check in at 6 AM). Dr. Delashaw, the neurosurgeon who did the surgery a year ago will go first. He will cut into the skull at the same place, and possibly go up higher, to check on the place of the last tumor on the trigeminal nerve. If it looks like it has gone into his brain, they will halt the surgery and do chemotherapy. I would not do any good to remove 98% of the tumor and leave the rest (that I presume might have gone into the brain). However, he does not think that has happened. Dr. Gross will then take over and make another incision that will go from about the beginning the other incision (around the middle and in front of his left ear) that would go down about 4 inches onto his neck. He will also come in from the front and make an incision starting at the middle of his lower lip. Depending on where the tumor has gone, Dr. Delashaw will assist with this. They think the tumor (which is about the size of a walnut) is entwined in the facial nerve and his upper jaw bone (near his ear). He can tell (and so can I) that it is pressing on this nerve because his left lower eyelid is drooping and he talks like he has something in his mouth (out of the right side of his mouth). They won't know how much paralysis he will have until after the surgery. Dr. Wax will take over after they remove the tumor. He will take some flesh from his stomach to fill in and have to attach some of the blood vessels from this piece. They might use titanium instead of bone from his leg to replace parts of the jaw bone they need to remove. He will have trouble chewing hard foods when this over. Dr. Gross said the surgery will take all day. Curt will be in intensive care for about a day and in the hospital for about a week (more or less depending on how things go). Angie asked if they have done this surgery very often. Dr. Gross said this is uncommon, but they do similar surgeries about every 2 or 3 months. After the surgery he will need radiation (which could be done in Corvallis).
After seeing Dr. Gross at 10:30, we had to wait for the PET scan at 12:30. They insert a radioactive substance and wait for 45 minutes for it to circulate. Then they took him in a wheelchair (to minimize movement of the substance they injected) to their new scanner in the hospital. We didn't get out of there until almost 2:30. Curt finally got to eat a banana and plum. Then we had to wait until about 3:45 for his PAT visit. They take his blood pressure, oxygen level (she was impressed that it was 100%), did an EKG, asked lots of questions, and took some blood. He can't take anymore Excedrin before the surgery, because the aspirin acts as a blood thinner. He can take his oxycodone. We didn't get out of there until almost 5. We decided to eat in the hospital cafeteria to miss the rush hour traffic. After stopping at Costco in Albany, we didn't get home until almost 8.
Even though all this sounds grim, it does sound hopeful. We hope to hear about the PET scan tomorrow.
Joan and Curt