2002 – What’s Going On

In February of 2002 I sarted experiencing a lot of pain in my face and teeth.
A small bump started forming in the middle of my upper pallate. I went to a dentist who pulled a tooth. 2 weeks later the pain was almost unbearable and all my front teeth were loose.

I went back to the doctor who told me that my teeth were loose because of the pulled tooth. I asked him why I was hurting so bad and he told me that I had a sinus infection. He prescribed pain medication ans referred me to an Ear,Nose and Throat specialist.

This started a journey from doctor to doctor for all of 2002. The pain was indescribable. There is no way to tell you how bad it hurts for cancer to eat the bones out of your face! It is horrible!

My wife and I went to all the appointments and never heard any news to help me know what was going on.

Below is a list of all the doctors we visited and their diagnosis.

It has been a very hard, scary and painful time. We have made it so far by the grace of God and all the prayers that have been prayed for me, for us both.

3/1/2002-3/14/2002-Dr Newborn. He pulled a tooth. Said I had a sinus infection. Gave me pain med.

5/22/02-5/29/02-Calhoun Urgent Care. Said I had a sinus infection. They gave me steroids and pain med.

By now my teeth are very loose and the pain is almost unbearable!

6/3/02-10/17/02-Dr. Link ENT. He said that I had a sinus infection. He prescribed steroids and pain med.

6/25/02-7/9/02- Carolyn Wills RN,CS,FNT. She said that she ordered a CT scan to prove that I did not have a sinus infection. She didn't tell us at that time but she felt it was cancer. She was the first one in the medical field to listen to me as I told her what I was experiencing. She gave me hope for the first time in months. The CT scan was read by a doctor who said that it was just a sinus infection and so I was prescribed steroids, antibiotics and pain med.

9/11/02- Dr. Trimble ENT. Told me I was just gritting my teeth and had some cavities. I asked for pain medication as the pain was so great. He told me to quit acting like a baby and said "no" because I might be a drug addict. I wandered if I was going out of my mind.

9/30/02- Dr. Ledford PC. He did neck x-rays that showed an impacted wisdom tooth. He referred me to an oral surgeon.

10/7/02- Dr. Chung DDS. He said that I had something in the roof of my mouth and would remove it if we would give him $2905.00 on that day. We had just given him almost $300.00 for the visit that day and didn't have that much money as all our extra money was being spent each month on doctors visits and medication. We did not have insurance. He would not do the procedure because we couldn't come up with the money. Really it turned out to be for the best because now we know I would have died had he done it there in his office.

10/17/02- Dr Link ENT. He did a biopsy. We back in for results to be read but the doctor was called out for an emergency. He told us,by phone, that the front teeth needed to be removed by an oral surgeon. The biopsy was inconclusive.

11/5/02-Dr. Stephens DMD-PC. Referred us to the next doctor. He felt it was cancer. Said that he felt he couldn't do the biopsy, he was afraid I would bleed to death.

11/5/02-12/10/02-12/17/02-12/30/02-9/2003-12/2003.He did the biopsy. On Dec 23 he called my home. My wife was not schedualled to go in to work that day. I was at work. Dr. Lee told her that I had AMELOBLASTIC CARCENOMA. It was a scary day.
1/28/03 Dr Moore ENT. was told that I would have to loose my nose, roof of mouth and top lip as well as many facial bones.

Since then I have seen many doctors.

Michael Yates is the man who made it possible for me to be writing this to you today. When my wife called the church and left a message for them to pray for me, he called his own dentist, Dr. Stephens and schedualled the appoinment and took us there on that rainy day. He sat with us and went in to see the doctors with us and has been there for us throughout this whole ordeal. God bless you my friend! Donnie