#kcot

The Story Of... 

...I finally feel like I am in control.

Back in 2008 I had a large Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumour removed from my right maxilla. All was fine. My life was moving on. I was loving my work, and I had a plan. Until it came back. With a big old smack round the chops. 

It's a funny old thing - time. It just slips away. Like a slightly melted Giant Chocolate Button along the inside of my car door pocket. I always make sure I have 2 things in my car when I go on long journeys, a bag of Tangfastics and some kind of chocolate thing. There is usually a bottle of old water hanging about somewhere, but I can't drive long journeys without 2 bags. And then, I leave them there, in the car. All alone. If they are lucky...

I didn't realise how long it had been since the last time, and I am kicking myself a bit now for not to have had it checked out sooner. The thing is, KCOTs come back. They are silent... you don't really know you have one until it is so large it is really doing some damage. Usually when it breaks your jaw.

I am writing this blog mainly to keep me sane, but also to speak to others who may be going through the same thing. I found little on the internet about KCOTs like mine. It's human nature to want to know what will happen. How will I feel? What will I be like in a year? How will I change?

I went to my Dentist in June 2012 and asked for an xray. My cheek felt a bit tender, and I had bad headaches and dizzyness. After a tooth polish and a cuppa, we looked at the xray. Something was there, in my right maxilla. I saw it. It looked quite small so I was happy to have found it so soon. Hoorah!

My dentist referred me to the chap I had seen in 2008 to have it taken out again.

After about 6 weeks I was given an appointment at the Macmillan Cancer Centre, UCLH to have my new KCOT looked at. Great! What a fab place to be given an appointment at. I met my new consultant, (he replaced my previous chap). He was very nice and sent me off for an OPG xray at my first appointment. By the time I had had the xray and returned to his consulting room he had the scan on his computer screen. 

Then I saw it - the bubble. It was 2 cms. I felt relieved it wasn't as big as the last time! We made a plan to have it removed after my holiday. It would be a simple proceedure.