3rd Time Around

My father-in-law's cancer has returned.  This will be his 3rd time battling squamous cell carcinoma. Original diagnosis was in 2000.  He underwent a radical neck disection and radiation.  

Cancer returned in 2015, he had a partial larengectomy, lost half of his voice box and had a PEG put in.  He was able to speak really well once his trach was removed, but has not been able to eat or drink anything by mouth since the surgery.  He was very active once his trach was removed.

In early March he started coughing up blood.  It was just a trace at first, but turned into clots.  He told me on March 6th that he was coughing up blood.  I made an appointment for the next day.  My husband took him to the doctor, they scoped him and saw something suspicious, so they admitted that day.  The doctor did a biopsy and confirmed that his cancer had returned.  He had surgery on March 10th and came home on March 20th.  They did a removed part of his tongue and tonsils. They used his skin from his pectorial area to create his flap and took skin from his thigh to cover the wound on his neck.  They had to basically cut him from his trach area, up through his lower jaw, all the way through his lip.  

Good news is that he had clear margins!  He was able to get his trach removed at his first follow up visit, which is awesome considering he had his trach for 5 months after his surgery in 2015.  

 

His stoma finally closed up today  and he is able to speak.  They had to sacrifice a nerve in his tongue, so he now has a speech impediment, but you can understand him

I just wanted to let everyone know that this cancer isn't a death sentence.  There is hope.  He continues to fight so he can see his granddaughter grow up.  

 My FIL is 72, he is the most amazing, man that I know.