Craig,

Welcome to the forum nobody wants to be a member of! I too had lymphoma, T-cell, in 1991 and was treated with high dose CHOP and Neupogen in a Phase 1 study. Our oral cancer diagnoses are very similar as well... hmmm...

At any rate, I was in the hospital for 10 days if I recall, the first two or three I was sedated in ICU but as soon as I was awake they were getting me on my feet. Didn't have a trach but did have the nasal tube and mostly, it was just annoying but it didn't get in my way.

Your voice will probably be fine but your enunciation will be dependent on how much and what parts of your tongue have to be removed, I think.

Hope this helps.

- Margaret

Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08
Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016
Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018