On Tuesday, May 28th 2013, Bill had an appointment with Dr. Hunt at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital and a date was set for the reconstruction surgery on Bill's face. The date is Monday, July 8th 2013. The surgery will be 10-12 hours long and he will be in the hospital for 6-10 days, then recovery at home. The bone, skin, muscle, and blood vessels will be taken from the bottom part of one of his legs. The bones in his face will be held together with titanium plates and screws. When Bill gets home he will walk with a cane for 2 weeks and then he will be able to do everything that he normally would do. Right now Bill can drink from a soda pop bottle (without the obturator) and can eat soft food with his obturator in, we still put most of his meds and food in his G-tube that goes right into his stomach. After the surgery and the flap is in his mouth, that is the new roof of his mouth is healed he will be able to take all his meds and soft food through his mouth and the G-tube will come out of his stomach. We will have to wait until the bone is completely healed (6-8 months) before Bill will get implanted teeth and then be able to eat his favorite food - hard or not. The obturator is like a retainer that fits somewhat in the hole that is in the roof of Bill's mouth. It helps him talk better. Dr. Rodney Andrus, here in St. George is the wonderful prosthodontic specialist that made the obturator.
As you can see, Bill did not pass away after 2 months. He kept getting better and stronger each day after leaving the hospital on April 25th, 2012. By November 2012, Dr. Horani, our Infectious Disease doctor here in St. George felt that Bill needed an MRI. After seeing that there was significant improvement from the MRI in April, he told us to contact Dr. Hunt about reconstruction.
Dr. Hunt was very surprised and happy when we made the appointment. Very few individuals survive having mucormycosis. The nurses, hospital staff and doctors on West 8 at LDS hospital were also very happy and surprised to see Bill alive and doing well.
