And the beat goes on

(Catherine Lane)

Now, that was a much simpler time in my life – Sonny and Cher.

Surgery today? That was the plan. The oral surgeon was going to scrape the dead bone away from my jaw until he reached live bone.  The theory was that if the dead bone was removed, the Hyperbaric Oxygen Capsule would have a better chance of reaching the infection in my jaw (osteomyelitis).  However, when I met with the oral surgeon yesterday, he revealed for the first time that this procedure could make the situation worse, leaving me with an open wound that might not ever heal.  When I heard this, I said "Thank you very much, but I decline this operation."

So, I'm back to square one again, looking for someone who might know more than the last person and might have an idea about how to help me.  My lower jaw is swollen, with a large lump which they think is a swollen lymph node.  It is painful to the touch, and I have to take Advil every four hours to manage the pain.  I feel like I am throwing spaghetti at the wall, hoping something will stick.

In the meantime, I will continue the oxygen treatments with my fingers crossed. At least I know my liver is stable, which means the phase I clinical trial medicine is working, for which I am so grateful.

Cancer is a full time job. The only difference between this job and others I have had is that I never submitted a resume for this one.