Angie,

I'm very sorry to hear about your mom's cancer recurrence. I second Kate's comment on getting as many opinions as you can get about tongue surgery for your mom. I, too, had almost all of my tongue removed, replaced with a flap from my left thigh. If, in addition to chemo and RT, tongue surgery meant significantly increasing my chances of surviving this cancer and reducing risk of spreading or recurrence, I'd certainly agree to surgery. I can communicate verbally and eat (pureed food), and it's been nearly a year after diagnonsis/surgery.

Do visit this site often, a lot of knowledgeable and caring people will give you support, both technically and emotionally, based on their own experiences.

Jojo