Scary Vittles

Originally posted June 7, 2017

Two weeks post-surgery…

Scary vittles. Tony ate his first meal – cream of chicken soup. Put a spoon full in the mouth, swallow, swallow, cough. It was scary because he didn’t know if it was going down the correct tube. He wanted to stop half-way and pushed through to finish the mug.

Tony was also able to go for 9 hours between pain meds. He is on children’s Tylenol, a smidgen of oxy and an aspirin a day.

He rototilled the garden this morning, then drove over to Golden Valley Natural to check in with his co-workers. He enjoyed seeing his work family. Because his speech was already impaired by the tumor prior to surgery, someone he saw thought he hadn’t had the surgery yet. Tony is pleased that people are already understanding so much of what he says.

Halitosis… was extreme. So much so that I was worried that Tony may have an infection. I asked twice during our clinic visit and was comforted to know it is a normal part of the healing process. He can now use toothpaste and mouthwash, so it is much improved.

The flap has healed well and it looks like it is conforming to the shape of his mouth. Hair is still growing and he can feel it on the roof of his mouth. He probably won’t have hair on the flap after radiation.