Aimee,

Welcome to this forum -- I'm sorry you have to be here, especially at a fairly young age, but I think you'll find a lot of help and support here.

As I understand it, the treatment for Stage II tumors may call for radiation in some cases but not all. You asked for responses from people whose radiation went well. (By the way, I think it's a rare person who thinks radiation is "going well" while it's actually happening -- but I can respond based on relatively long-term results.)

I also had Stage II SCC of the tongue (at age 39), with surgery first to remove the tumor and many lymph nodes. The margins were clean, and there was no sign of lymph node involvement. My pathology report showed that the tumor was poorly differentiated, which I believe was a significant factor in my doctors' strong recommendation that I have radiation as soon as possible after surgery. My radiation treatments started about 5-6 weeks after the surgery. That was 17 years ago, when there was less that could be done to target the radiation to specific spots and to spare salivary glands. For me, the latter half of radiation and the weeks following were quite miserable, with many of the typical side effects that you can read about on this site. However, I was still able to work at least on a part-time basis.

Recovery from radiation can come in (slow) stages -- gradually getting back taste buds, swallowing ability, healing of the lining of your mouth, etc. Thankfully, I was able to get back to a point of eating just about anything I wanted and, while I was warned about possible dental problems, I still have all my original teeth. I got back to the point where I could maintain a normal work schedule, travel extensively, take on some volunteer work, and learn some new hobbies.

You mentioned that your tumor was "particularly invasive". I'm certainly not a doctor, so I can't say what is the right treatment for you, but based on what I have seen from others here(including fairly young patients), I would definitely press your medical team on the possible downside of delaying radiation in your case. You might also want to get a second opinion from another major cancer center.

Please feel free to come back here with any questions you may have. You will most likely find others who have been through what you are facing and want to help.

Cathy