The tumor was malignant.
It came out in one piece, and they took out a lot of the surrounding area to be safe. When I left the hospital (and how I hated to leave him there...) he was doing well...he said it didn't hurt much, and we sat and just chatted together for a while.
They call it Mucoepidermoid cancer. He'll be starting radiation in a few weeks. They want to make sure he's healed a bit from the surgery. They said it was quickly reproducing, which is why his tumor seemed to spring up "overnight". But, they said on the plus side of that, it'll respond better to the radiation treatments. He'll be out of work for a few months, but at least he'll be able to take the time and get better.
And that's really all we know at this point. We'll know more after they do more tests on the tumor, and on him.
In the meantime, I feel a bit useless. I tried to be helpful, but felt annoying, though I don't think he saw it that way. I guess I was trying to keep busy. I came close to losing composure a few times, especially when they started using the word "malignant", and talking about when we'll find out life-expectancy.
But I won't let myself crumple like that. Hell, they could find out they've gotten it all, and he'll be fine. So I'd be wasting my time and being a wreck for nothing. I choose to be hold strong, be supportive, and wait for information.
He was in good spirits though...I think it drives his family a little crazy that he doesn't appear to take it seriously, but at the same time, I think he knows that it'd be worse if he were wailing and despairing over it. Though, I don't think I could picture him doing that anyway. XP
Keep us in your thoughts. <3
EDIT: Just got off the phone with him. He said apparently one of the Lymph Nodes was cancerous as well. But they got it out. So that's good.
