Where I am with my fight against Cancer

My story begins with a small blemish on the floor of my mouth, 7 years ago. My dentist found it. He referred me to a maxillofacial surgeon who cut the entire thing out with a quick swipe of a scalpel, then sent it for biopsy. (Only suspected to be Cancer), he told me to quit smoking and drinking beer. Or it would come back!, I didn't and it did.

5 years it lay dormant, then my dentist said "better get it looked at again". I ended up having the entire floor of my mouth removed at Sunnybrook Cancer hospital in Toronto, Canada.

The surgeons were brutal, knocking out teeth and slicing out all the lymph nodes from my neck. Cutting a big swatch from the underside of my left forearm, a piece of vein was removed for use in my mouth. The flesh acted as skin graph to re-upholstered the floor of my mouth. My shortened tongue was re-attached onto it. Then, twisting the skin together on my forearm, they managed to stitch that wound closed. (I have only minor numbness when I grip things with my left hand).

That was back in April 2009, over a year ago. The major swelling of my neck, and lower jaw took a few months to receed as I underwent physio-therapy to regain my neck muscles. I had quit smoking the day of my operation, but I continued to drink until August.

By early October, I had just been fitted with a new lower denture plate.
Having trouble getting it to fit comfortably, by November I ended up with the oral surgeon trimming the 'flap' he graphed into my mouth. He decided to biopsy the extra bits. The cancer was back, it came right through the New floor of my mouth! In December, more surgery, removing more tissue, teeth and a part of my lower jaw. A piece of titanium replaced the missing jawbone.

Because the cancer reoccurred so quickly, I was fast tracked into the radiation / chemo program during March.

Now I am trying to get teeth again, sigh.

My 2 surgeries, followed by 33 radiation tx with 3 chemo tx prompted me to write last time. The recovery was uphill & frustrating, so I went to a denturist and was fitted with a bottom plate (5 weeks after the final radiation treatment).
Having the option to wear teeth made me feel a lot better! but then on my first check-up by the surgeons & Rad Dr.s, I was told the plate would interfere with the healing. So until the next check-up I only wore the plate occasionally, (eating solid food carefully with knife & fork etc.).
My next check-up with all the doctors was good! I was healing fine, even the oral surgeon said it's OK to have the bottom denture realigned by the denturist. So I did.
Well my last check, the surgeon exclaimed I had 'Stage 1 Osteonecrosis'! and immediately referred me back to the oral surgeon/dentist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ont.
OK, so, what now?
I am advised to stop wearing my bottom denture, eat only soft food and come back in 3 weeks. I probably have to set aside 3 months for the medical establishment in Ontario, Canada to provide treatment.
They are a little vague about what that involves, however my understanding is HBO followed by more surgery.

I am just realizing that radiation treatment slows (or obstructs) normal healing, (no one mentioned this before I had it done!).

I am going to investigate alternative advice, I don't want to be laid up in a "Learning Hospital", again.

At this stage, I am not wearing the bottom denture plate, and I have stepped back, I am reassessing the whole situation.