萝莉社

Denise Matteo didn鈥檛 think twice about the broken tooth that caused her to see her dentist. 鈥淗e looked at it and recommended $13,000 worth of dental work,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was a single parent of two children and couldn鈥檛 afford it.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 until a second tooth broke three months later that she thought something might be wrong. 鈥淚 felt some pain and my mouth started to bleed. My boss took one look at me and sent me to see her dentist.鈥�

The new dentist examined Matteo, then told her she needed to see an oral surgeon immediately. The oral surgeon took X-rays and performed a biopsy. But even before the biopsy results came back, he informed Matteo that she had cancer.

鈥淗e showed me the X-rays. The left side of my face was normal. The right side looked like a black hole,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen the biopsy was completed, he gave me the really bad news. I had stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma, and we needed to act fast.鈥�

Matteo had never been sick, never smoked. She felt healthy. 鈥淚 was in complete shock. I didn鈥檛 know how to react.鈥�

Fortunately, the oral surgeon was a former colleague of Rui Fernandes, MD, DMD, at 萝莉社 Jacksonville. 鈥淗e told me he wanted me to go see one of the very best oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the country. That was Dr. Fernandes. He called and made the appointment for me.鈥�

Even though she lived in Stuart, Florida, Denise made the four-hour drive three days later to meet with Fernandes, chief of head and neck surgery at and associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the .

Matteo went through eight hours of tests, then met with him again for her diagnosis and treatment options. 鈥淗e confirmed the original diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. Then showed me the images of the tumor. It was bigger than a baseball,鈥� she said. 鈥淏asically, I had two choices. Neither one held out much promise for a long-term cure.鈥�

Fernandes advised Matteo that she could choose to do nothing 鈥� go home, spend time with the kids and get her affairs in order. 鈥淚f I did that, I鈥檇 be dead in three months,鈥� she said.

Option number two gave her some hope. 鈥淗e said we could try surgery and follow up with chemo and radiation. In that case, I had a five to 10 percent chance of living five years or more.鈥�

Matteo was a single mother of two children. Her daughter was a freshman in college and her son was a high school sophomore. 鈥淕iving up just wasn鈥檛 something I could do. What were my kids going to do if I died? I decided right then that I was going to win. That was my mindset. I鈥檓 going to win.鈥�

Matteo gave Fernandes her answer almost immediately. 鈥淟et鈥檚 go for it. Let鈥檚 do the surgery. I will not let cancer win,鈥� Matteo said. 鈥淭hat turned out to be the best decision I鈥檝e ever made. I owe my life to Dr. Fernandes. If it wasn鈥檛 for him, I wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥�

鈥淒r. Fernandes presented my case to 萝莉社 Jacksonville鈥檚 tumor board,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen I talked to them. They all agreed with his diagnosis and course of treatment.鈥� Matteo was scheduled for surgery two weeks later.

鈥淒enise presented with a very advanced cancer in her upper jaw, which extended up to her eye, but thankfully had not invaded the fat or muscles surrounding the eye,鈥� Fernandes explained. 鈥淎fter discussing with her, and approval from the multidisciplinary tumor board, we proceeded with the surgery. This was extensive and required immediate reconstruction with a transplant from her leg bone, skin and muscle in order to maintain her facial symmetry.鈥�

The surgery lasted for 14 hours and Matteo was put into a medically induced coma for five days.

鈥淲hen I woke up, I thought it was still the day of the operation,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat a surprise it was to realize I鈥檇 been unconscious for five days.鈥�

Matteo stayed at 萝莉社 Jacksonville for 10 days before she was released to go home. 鈥淭he entire staff at 萝莉社 is remarkable,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile I was recovering, Dr. Fernandes or one of the other doctors checked on me every hour. I know all the nurses and staff by first name now. They鈥檙e like my extended family.鈥�

Since her first operation, Matteo has had some ups and downs. 鈥淚 chose to have my radiation and chemo at a hospital near my home in Stuart instead of at 萝莉社 Jacksonville. That was a big mistake.鈥�

She went through twelve weeks of chemo and radiation. She got a staph infection and, when her insurance was cancelled, treatment was stopped until she could get other coverage.

鈥淭hat didn鈥檛 stop Dr. Fernandes. He still kept seeing me even though he knew my insurance had lapsed.鈥�

Because of complications brought about by the chemo and radiation treatments performed at the other hospital, Matteo has had to undergo more surgeries. 鈥淲hen I left 萝莉社 after the first surgery, my face looked normal. The chemo and radiation treatments and staff infection I got from the other hospital caused my face to deteriorate.鈥�

All of the surgeries performed by Fernandes since then have been aimed at correcting the damage and restoring her face to its normal appearance.

鈥淓ven though she has had a long course that was complicated by some problems from the radiation, today she is disease-free and living a wonderful life with her family and friends. I am truly honored to have been a part of her treatment team,鈥� Fernandes said.

鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been easy, but here I am years later and I am cancer-free,鈥� Matteo said. 鈥淲e beat it. I鈥檓 here. We have beaten this deadly disease. And it鈥檚 all because of Dr. Fernandes."