Warren,

My tumor was also on the left side of my tongue, with no node involvement. I was 39 when I was diagnosed and have never smoked. I had conventional radiation (since IMRT wasn't even available then) and did not have chemo. I got through the first 2-3 weeks with minimal difficulty, but the last several weeks of radiation, and a couple of months following, were really tough. I never had a PEG tube, so I had to stick with soft/semi-liquid foods and numb my mouth ahead of time to be able to reduce the pain associated with eating. The biggest problems were mouth sores, thrush, coughing up phlegm, temporary loss of taste buds, and constant fatigue. After radiation ended, I had ongoing dry mouth problems, which I have dealt with using a combination of medication, Biotene products (available at many drugstores) and staying hydrated as much as possible. As you can see from other posts on this site, these are very common effects of radiation.

While I was pretty miserable for the last half of radiation treatments and awhile after, I was still able to work, at least part time, through the process. I always tried to schedule my treatments toward the end of the afternoon so I could straight home afterward. However, different people have different degrees of reaction to radiation, so try to be prepared as much as possible ahead of time. You'll find plenty of help and support here.

Cathy