Two months ago I was diagnosed with scc of the left lateral tongue and also cancer in the left floor of my mouth. Going to have surgery to remove half the tongue and floor of mouth and neck dissection as a precaution. Surgery won't be until late September or early October. I am terrified of the wait and possibly advancing from Stage 2. No RT or Chemo if nodes are clear. Dr says I will be okay by 2 months with speech and swallow. Getting free flap reconstruction. Don't believe the 2 months healing period.

Hi Corlis. I have had that surgery. Two months healing is reasonably realistic if it's surgery only, no RT of chemo. You might have to have speech therapy but the flap and graft sites should be good to go by then. I had no great trouble with speech and eating within that time.

Yes, the wait is absolutely horrible. No chance of an earlier time? I've also had a similar wait ... I sort of think doctors consider a 6 week wait acceptable. They don't think the cancer will spread and they have to book in a range of specialists to carry out the intricate surgery. It's so hard for us to mark time but you can make sure you are as fit as possible for the surgery.

Wishing you well.

Corlis, welcome to OCF! You are in the best place for info and support.

Alpaca has had the same diagnosis and surgery so she can advise you based on her experiences. Please understand, our site is made up of patients and caregivers, without medical backgrounds. Without having years of medical school, training and experience its not possible for any of us to second guess what your physician has advised.

If you havent already gotten a second opinion I would suggest doing so. If you are able to get into a comprehensive cancer center (CCC), even better. They are the countries top cancer hospitals. A CCC uses a team based approach where all the specialists work together. Since you have a window of 6+ weeks to wait until your surgery, I suggest calling around to go for another opinion. My concern is you were diagnosed 2 months ago and its still another 6+ weeks until the surgery. Remember, once a surgeon removes something they cant put it back.

Best wishes.


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Thank you, I am afraid of the wait. I understand that is an intricate surgery but I am seeing rapid changes in my tongue. I have low tolerance for pain medication and have gone from a half tablet to 1.5. But if the 6 week wait is typical I will have to focus on my being as healthy as possible. This whole thing is just so frightening. So happy I found this forum.

Hi Corlis. I couldn't say typical. It is from my own experience that I have had to wait, twice, for a similar time for surgery. I've read that people here have had to wait. (For my first surgery I was actually rung to go in earlier because they had a cancellation.) I would also pay heed to Christine who has had a much wider experience in this forum. Finally, if you are seeing rapid changes in your tongue I would convey this and your anxieties to you doctor or the whoever your point of contact is at the hospital. You shouldn't be left worrying and at the very least you need reassurance.Sometimes you have to push them:) As Christine says, we are not health experts and all we can really give is understanding and tips based on experience.But the understanding and empathy we can give is priceless too. Only fellow patients totally get it.

Yes, you are right Corlis, this is scary. Just getting a cancer diagnosis is enough of a shock to make most of us lose our hearing. (Im kidding) Im talking about when you are first told you have cancer, most of us never hear anything else the doctor says.

Oral cancer can be a tough one to get thru. The treatments are brutal to say the least. You will want to get thru this once and hit it with everything so hopefully you never have to go thru it again. I would really stress the importance of getting a second opinion at a CCC. Studies have proven patients treated at CCCs have a better survival rate. If you can get to one I strongly urge you to go right away. Time is important especially if you have noticed any changes.

Remember the medical team is there to work for you. Sometimes they need a little nagging to move things along. Dont be afraid to stand up for yourself and ask for an earlier date instead of waiting. My concern is that you have not been given a definite date for the surgery yet. After being diagnosed 2 months ago and now having to wait at least 6 more weeks to be treated to me sounds like a long wait. This is another reason I advised you to get a second opinion. To me it doesnt sound like they are treating this with the urgency it deserves. I hope Ive gotten the wrong opinion and they are much better than what I took from your original post.

Please start making some calls tomorrow morning to try for a second opinion.

Thank you Christine, I am at a CCC,but was told that they are performing around 4 of these surgeries a week and are backed up. This particular CCC is one of the leading one in the country
They gave me the name of a couple others but they are running behind also. I will definitely take your advice and begin calling them on a regular basis. My next appointment is not until September 17th and that's with Rehab to discuss what I should expect. Don't mean to complain when others are going thru so much more. I guess it's time to become more assertive.

Thanks also Alpaca, I appreciate the words of the people here even more than the doctor's. Only someone who has experienced this either as a patient or caregiver truly understand this from our standpoint. I felt so alone before fining this forum. My family don't know what to say to me and if I try to talk with them about my thoughts and feelings they say I shouldn't do the research or talk about it. Thank you all for the support. I can't express just how much it means to me.

Corlis, I'm sending all my good vibes your way. What I went through is nothing compared to what Christine, Alpaca and many others here have endured. And they and all of us are still here. I know how tough waiting can be, so please visit us often even if just to rant! You're part of our family now and we'll do everything we can to help.

Hang in there buddy.

Im so relieved to hear you are already at a CCC. It really does make a difference.

Give them a call tomorrow and see if they can push the surgery date. At the very least you can ask for a date. The squeaky wheel...