Hi, my name is Tanya. I am 42 years old, have been happily married to my best friend for 19 years, and we have 2 beautiful children together. I was diagnosed with Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in January 2011. I underwent surgery which involved the removal of half of my tongue, removal of 31 lymph nodes from my neck, a free tissue transfer flap from my forearm used to create a prosthesis, and grafting from my thigh to my forearm. I awoke with a feeding tube and tracheal tube. Less than a week later, a blood clot formed which destroyed the prosthesis and required a second surgery and a second graft from my thigh to create another prosthesis. Six weeks following this second surgery, I began chemotherapy and radiation. Although this has been a difficult process in the physical sense, I am finding the psychological aspect to be profound. Is there anyone out there who can relate and provide some encouragement? I have been blessed with a second chance at life and yet I am still grieving the life that I lost. I need a pep talk!