Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but you have found a great group online here that will help you get through treatment.

I likely had a different subset of oral cancer from you. Mine was caused by HPV and originated in the tonsils, while most cancer in the front of the tongue is not HPV related. Let us know what the staging is once you find out. Generally for smaller tongue cancers without lymph involvement, surgery is the 1st treatment modality. I underwent chemoradiation, so our treatments may not be similar. However, I am 25, so I understand the shock of being diagnosed at such a young age. It sounds like you received a diagnosis quickly from onset of symptoms, which is great. It took me 3-4 months to get a diagnosis. Let me know if you have any questions for a younger oral cancer patient. I know there are a few oral tongue cancer survivors here who were diagnosed in their 20s, and hopefully they will chime in with their experience

It seems younger folk seem to bounce back a bit faster and hopefully that is the case for you. I know my life is starting to return to some sense of normalcy. Keep that end in mind - you will beat this.

Where are you being treated? I'd recommend getting another opinion once you get some more information on the diagnosis and the recommended treatment. Comprehensive cancer centers are great places to have opinions and treatment as their oncologists see many cancer cases each year.