HPV Throat Cancer Removal Surgery

[Floyd R Turbo]

Starting up this thread for a couple reasons, one being that I couldn't find much online from the patient side that explained what it's like to deal with this.

About mid-July I looked in my throat and found a lump about the size of a peach pit on the left side. Fast forward through 2 doctors who prescribed antibiotics for tonsillitis or abscess and turn out this is HPV cancer, squamous cell carcinoma better identified as 16+ (type 16 HPV positive)

Right now I'm super doped up on oxy so I can barely type this but I'll fill in with gross before and after photos and video.

In my instance this was surgically removable thorugh a process call Trans Oral Robotic Surgery. Basically they clamp your jaw open for 3 hours and suture your tongue to one side and hack away half of your throat to get negative displacement.

I also had 24-30 lymph nodes removed from my neck so now I have a nice 6" scar

More to come

[Floyd R Turbo]

Well I can’t add more pictures from my phone for some reason. Maybe I’ll try later

[Floyd R Turbo]

A few pics of the tumor prior to removal

[Floyd R Turbo]

Video #2 (first one was too long, will try to edit it down)

[Floyd R Turbo]

Video #1 part 1/2

[Floyd R Turbo]

Video #1 part 2/2

[Mr.NoCredit]

That left side looks raw…

Thanks for sharing and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[kellyhound]

Thanks for posting, much appreciated and good luck with the healing part

[Floyd R Turbo]

Thanks for the words of support

Surprisingly my throat does not feel broadly raw. Only in a couple spots and only when I don’t stay on top of pain meds. The side effect of staying on strong pain meds is constipation. I haven’t gone since Monday night before surgery. Granted that I’m on a full liquid/goo diet, but still, I’m eating. The most firm thing I’ve had to eat is scrambled eggs, the first bite got stuck in the throat flap and I had to puree them. Puréed cooked eggs smell like rotten eggs by the way.

I’ve had 2 bleeding incidents. The second went unnoticed but the first did not. I had a throat tickle that triggered a medium cough and started spitting blood. I get nosebleeds all the time, always have, but this freaked me out. Skin goes cold & clammy as I hang my head over the sink and spit fresh blood. Overall I only spit out maybe 1-2 tablespoons but the #1 post surgery risk is bleeding.

I backed off the pain meds yesterday, trying to pinch a loaf, so I skipped 3 doses and about an hour after the 3rd skipped dose, the pain showed up and brought it’s buddy tension with it.

So much for Oxy wearing off at 4 hours, it took 14 hours. And for anyone curious, Oxy puts codeine and Vicodin to shame.

Side note: Whoever removed the photo of the marching band, thanks. Couldn’t figure out how to clear that before creating the post. Incidentally the Iowa State University Cyclone “Varsity” Marching Band is one of the final 5 bands in the Div 1 Group for the Metallica competition, so if you can find it (Google is your friend) you can still vote for ISU!

[Trucked up]

Hope you have insurance, hell of a bill I'd bet.