Hi my name is Karen - last March I was diagnosed with SCC tumor on my tongue. In April 2007 I had a glossectomy and a total neck dissection. Following that chemotherapy and radiotheray for 6 weeks.

The radiotherapy has severely damaged my jaw bone, now I will be requiring a bone graft from my hip bone to try to fix my jaw bone. They will also be attempting to improve the front movement of my "tongue flap", as I am still unable to eat anything that doesn't have the same consistency as soup - 12 months on. I still have a PEG tube in. Just wondering whether anyone else has had a similar problem following radiotherapy and how you have dealt with the complications.

Thanks for any assistance you can give me - surgery has been scheduled for 3 week.

Regards Karen

Hi Karen,
Hi from a fellow Aussie. Welcome to this great forum where you will get lot's of help and advise. Sadly only discovered it myself long after the initial diagnosis and operation. It would have helped me a lot at the time if I had known of it.
I have not had the same treatments as you so will leave it for others to answer your questions. Where did they take the flap from? Mine was from the inside right hand wrist. Can help with that one.
Cheers
Gabriele

Hi Gabriele - I agree with you this site would have helped me so much last year - better late than never. The flap is from my leg - the scar is about 10 inches long - but the flap shrunk so much following radiotherapy and the front of is is so tight it is so uncomfortable.

This time they will be taking some tissue from near my hip (as that doesn't have hair follicles) and put that under the front (tip) of the tongue flap so I will have more movement etc. Hopefully that will allow me to eat something besides pureed food and also speak clearer. Since the operation my speech isn't as clear as it used to be, which besides being unable to eat much has made everything extremely difficult

Welcome Karen, from another Aussie in Sydney. I'm glad you've found OCF, an absolute godsend. If there was not the internet I wouldn't have found such a fabulous resource of info and wonderful people (there isn't much info down under and specialists don't talk much!). I don't have the same cancer as you but I'm sure you will find heaps of advice. If you're ever in Sydney feel free to touch base.

Good luck.

Tizz (aka Meredith Brooks)
www.soundwarp.com.au

Hello Karen and welcome to the board.

It sounds like you have had a tough time with your treatment so I hope you are improving a bit at a time. I didn't have a flap so I can't help there but I do understand the debilitation and eating difficulty after radiation. This forum has helped me so much as has the extensive information database on the main site. I met Tizz through this site and she has been a great support as is Gabriele who I met up with at my last visit to the head and neck oncology unit where she is a patient also. Small world!

I'll look forward to reading how you are progressing - keep on posting. Others here will have travelled your path and can help with your particular problems.

Love from Helen