New date for debridement, more HBOs, upcoming scan

My debridement has been rescheduled for April 18th, followed the next day by 10 more hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatments. So, please bank some Good Vibes and I'll have them warm up the ol' Secrist 4100-H for ten more spins. After that, I'm told it will be 2-3 months until they know for sure if the debridement has worked, but I should have plenty of signs before then.

I have my next cancer scan on April 4th, so throw in some extra Good Vibes for that as well. I'll get those results on April 6th and will post them right away.

Mike

Debridement postponed

I got a call yesterday that today's debridement procedure would be postponed. Apparently the involved doctors were not able to consult to reach a specific operating plan. So, I have a pre-op appointment tomorrow, March 23.

Please use the extra time to bank some Good Vibes for when this does happen--I'll let you know when a new date has been set.

mike

Calling on Team Mike

After several weeks of uncertain scheduling, my debridement is on for this Thursday, March 22. The procedure itself is pretty simple and not very intrusive--the doctor will access the area directly, extract one tooth, scrape out any found dead bone, and apply some "liquid nails" to strengthen the remaining bone and promote healing. It's after that when I really need Team Mike to send your Good Vibes--to help that area heal properly, once and for all. The doctor says the success of this procedure should be known in 2-3 weeks. If it works, new gum tissue will grow in that area, my pain will diminish and go away, and it will fully heal gradually. If it doesn't work, the next step will be a resecting of my left mandible, which is a whole different procedure and lengthy recovery scenario that hurts by just describing it--so I won't. If the debridement is a "3" (out of 10), the resecting is a "9" on the pain + recovery time scale, with a long scar as my lasting souvenir.

I'll post after Thursday, but start banking those Good Vibes now and keep them going until the results are known. As always, thanks for your support for what's now been three years. I could not have made it this far without you.

mike