Need prayer for upcoming operation
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 3:35 am
A little background:
Around August of this year I was diagnosed with Ameloblastoma (a tumor of the jaw) and ended up having the fairly sizable tumor removed from my jaw around the same time. Ameloblastoma tumors are benign but invasive and highly destructive as they can keep coming back and typically keep growing. This type of tumor stems from cells that mimic the cells that make tooth enamel and according to the findings, I have the kind that is guaranteed to come back unless something is done.
Typically, people with Ameloblastoma have the tumor in their lower jaw and usually end up having to have part (or whole sections) of their lower jaw removed to get rid of the problem causing cells. My case is not in the mandible (lower jaw) but is instead in the maxilla (upper jaw). This is a rarer case and tends to be a bit more dangerous due to it being closer to the sinus' and other things.
The upcoming surgery:
I went to the UNC dental college, where they have dealt with this rare disorder, and was advised that they are going to need to treat this situation aggressively to try to keep it from coming back. They want to perform surgery on me on December 2nd and they plan on cutting out some section(s) of my upper jaw. They also may have to pull quite a few teeth in order to do this and i may have to stay for observation.
Again, this particular type of tumor is benign, but it tends to come back and can cause severe deformation of the face and jaw if left unchecked. I have been praying a lot about this and believe that God has a plan and that I am blessed as the surgeons told me that my insurance would have to cover this as it is not elective and is very important to my well being.
Please keep me in your prayers as I am going to have to talk with my boss about working from home for some time to recover. Fortunately, I can do my job fairly easy from my home. I am also praying that the costs (on my side) won't be too high as this could keep me from being able to have the surgery now. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
Thanks.
Around August of this year I was diagnosed with Ameloblastoma (a tumor of the jaw) and ended up having the fairly sizable tumor removed from my jaw around the same time. Ameloblastoma tumors are benign but invasive and highly destructive as they can keep coming back and typically keep growing. This type of tumor stems from cells that mimic the cells that make tooth enamel and according to the findings, I have the kind that is guaranteed to come back unless something is done.
Typically, people with Ameloblastoma have the tumor in their lower jaw and usually end up having to have part (or whole sections) of their lower jaw removed to get rid of the problem causing cells. My case is not in the mandible (lower jaw) but is instead in the maxilla (upper jaw). This is a rarer case and tends to be a bit more dangerous due to it being closer to the sinus' and other things.
The upcoming surgery:
I went to the UNC dental college, where they have dealt with this rare disorder, and was advised that they are going to need to treat this situation aggressively to try to keep it from coming back. They want to perform surgery on me on December 2nd and they plan on cutting out some section(s) of my upper jaw. They also may have to pull quite a few teeth in order to do this and i may have to stay for observation.
Again, this particular type of tumor is benign, but it tends to come back and can cause severe deformation of the face and jaw if left unchecked. I have been praying a lot about this and believe that God has a plan and that I am blessed as the surgeons told me that my insurance would have to cover this as it is not elective and is very important to my well being.
Please keep me in your prayers as I am going to have to talk with my boss about working from home for some time to recover. Fortunately, I can do my job fairly easy from my home. I am also praying that the costs (on my side) won't be too high as this could keep me from being able to have the surgery now. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
Thanks.
I was joking around with the staff prior to the sedation and next thing I know I woke up in recovery.