Hi Lea, welcome to OCF! Glad you have found this great site to help you and your father get thru everything he is facing. Tomorrow is a very big day. Many members have been thru this and have gone on to eat and speak while others wont. I had one good friend who sadly lost her battle last year after several recurrences. She had a major surgery where most of her tongue was removed and she should have been unable to ever speak again. Yet, somehow my friend while only a couple days after the surgery greeted her mother as she walked into her hospital room with "Hi Mom, love you". I hope your father will make a full recovery and go on to lead a happy, healthy life. I know it seems like it may not be possible but please never give up hope. Speech therapists can do wonders, get them involved as soon as the doc says its ok. He may be very swollen for a few weeks so it might have to wait a little while but try to get the ball rolling and his appointment set up while he is still in the hospital.

Best wishes tomorrow!!!!