Ok, This I hope will not be too long winded.

The first tumor removal I had was on 05/03/17. It was a small tumor located on the left side, near the back of my tongue. I was told it was a Stage 1 Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma. This is for those going through this the first time, and are curious as to what to expect. As this was my very first visit to a hospital, I can tell you I was scared. I really shouldn't have been. After getting changed into a gown, given an IV, then a sedative (through the IV)...all I really can remember is being wheeled into surgery...Someone putting a couple of monitor sticky things on me and the proverbial "nighty, night". Next thing I was in recovery. No pain, just discomfort. They gave me a nice cherry slushy to slurp on. Told me to take the pain meds, and take it easy, and the doc would see me again next week. And then I left. In and out of surgery in about 4-5 hrs and home again. Now...at home. I got home about 12:00pm . Was told I could take more meds at 2:00pm. I dozed off, and tried to take meds. This time my mouth was covered in thick saliva. Literally so thick it was near solid. No matter how many times I tried to get ride of it, within a few minutes, more. It is literally the grossest part of this whole thing. Also, the tongue tumor removal caused so much swelling that it presses on some kind of nerve to your ear, which made it so painful to swallow ANYTHING. Even your saliva. Which meant that, I didnt want anything going down my throat. So for the next 3 days, I barely could swallow water, or meds. Luckily, I didn't get sick from dehydration. Stupid me! Please remember to drink all the time!!!!! Until you are sick of it! Because the next worse thing is...Constipation!!! And I lost 13 pounds in 5 days. not fun. Although, now I no longer have to wear fat pants! Cancer is the WORST diet ever! Anyhoo. On the fourth day, woke up swelling started to go down, the pain was less when swallowing, i could even get some semblance of speech out, downside, Thrush has come to visit! It's gross but it's do-able. While enjoying my new found freedom from pain, I noticed that I am actually chewing on stitches, to the point, that they started to come out. On the Fifth day from surgery, even better! Saliva has gone back to normal! Speaking much better, swallowing pudding!! Drinking water!! No pain, or not really any. But the stitches that were chewed out left a nice sized hole, enough to make me concerned, so my Mom packed me into the car and off to the doc. Sat down in the chair and the doc said open wide, let's take a look. He said the hole would eventually close on its own, no worries. I said "yay!" He then saw my happy bubble and poked it. "Well, don't get excited. The tests results came back. The tumor that I removed, shows that the Cancer is on the margins...meaning, we should go in and take out some more, how does Wednesday sound?" ---Now mind you this is Monday 05/08/17. My first reaction is to cry again..."but i'm not healed from the first one!", I mumbled /cried. Then he looked me in the eyes, and said "we should do this now. Before you are all healed up, your mouth and tongue have gone through the trauma already and hasn't recovered yet, so we should do this quickly, ok?" So, he is the doc, i am the patient...so OK, Let's do this. -------I thought this wasn't going to be long winded...i lied. But now you have to finish reading....mwa haha...

Wednesday, 05/10/17
Basically same exact deal....went in, iv, put to sleep, then woke up. Same red slushy. Back at home. Now..I have to tell you. He was right. This time my mouth is not nearly as swollen. It actually looks, better, my tongue, that is, than the first time he did it. Stitches and all. Family said the doc told them about the surgery. He had to go further towards my throat and cut more out. I dont have nearly the excruciating pain in my ear as I did before. But, understandably so, I now have throat pain. Not intense, as I am going all in on the meds...(I don't know why, but the first time, I was on the dot with meds...it said every 4hrs I took it, now im like...ooo was that a twinge? More Norco/or demerol...take your pick, yumm) ...Still on liquids only, as moving food around your mouth requires your tongue, so be aware that that will hurt. So soft liquidy things, with no food particles. Because getting a little bit of something stuck in your mouth and then forgetting and trying to swallow it by moving your tongue will destroy all your senses at once. So here I am on 05/11/17 Chit chatting away at the computer...is all rosey and fine? No. But. IT is doable...and that was not what I was thinking on April 25,2017 when he first told me Cancer. So, positive outlook. I still have radiation to go, and there is still the results from this tumor to deal with. Hope you garner some kind of help or information from all this, and on that note...ooo I think I feel a twinge...where is my Norco? p.s. I must have a huge tongue, because it doesn't look like he cut anything out.

Thanks for sharing. I just had Trans oral robotic surgery 5/9 and the doc took out the lingual and palatine tonsils as well as all the tissue down to the muscle on the left back of tongue.

I have had many of the same experiences:
- really thick saliva that makes me choke. I rinse out my mouth using a solution of 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1:8 tsp salt and a cup of warm water. Just leave it by the bathroom sink so I can rinse all day.

- I could eat after surgery but not the second day. Could only get down a protein smoothie and a cup took about an hour to drink. The third day I had a little cottage cheese. Today is
better.

- The first two nights I would wake up every 45 minutes and would have to spit out phlegm/blood then rinse with the baking soda/salt solution.

- I take 5mg oxycodone every 6 hours and also 1000mg Tylenol every six hours, but shift them by three hours.

- Today is the third day after the surgery and I am not hurting as much but swallowing is so difficult.

- Pathology will be 7 to 10 days

Thanks for sharing your experience! I thought my having the thick saliva was unusual. Glad to know it is common.

Hi Stef H,
Thankfully my saliva has returned to a semblance of normal. Thanks for the tip on rinsing.

I haven't been able to get anything but liquids to go down. My first surgery, I was able to begin swallowing soft food on the 4th day, but I don't think I'll be able to do so this time. My tongue just does not want to cooperate. My left half feels lifeless. My right side seems to be fine. Everytime i attempt to swallow something, that is not liquid, it just sticks to my tongue and I can't dislodge it. So I either have to spit it out, or reach in and take it out. Ugh..i hope it will return to normal.

For me ..im on 7.5mg hydrocodone with 325mg Tylenol ( liquid) every 4 to 6 hrs. And demerol for the in between pain.

Luckily, I didn't have as much swelling from this surgery, as my mouth was already recovering from the first one.

Good luck, with your recovery.

Thank you! Hope swallowing is better for you.
The pain was too much for me and they added gabapentin. I have slowly decreased the oxycodone.

Wishing you the best,
stef