Jingle Bell,

I had pretty much the same surgery your husband had although they didn't try to rebuild my tongue from my neck muscles. I don't think I've read of anyone on this forum where that was the technique used. My reconstruction was done using tissue from my forearm and I wasn't sent home until I could swallow at least liquids. So to answer your questions:

1. Yes - again, the neck muscle part is new to me, tissue from wrist is pretty common
2. I was started on broths, jello and ice cream. Probably applesauce as well. I didn't have any trouble readjusting after surgery and was able to eat without trouble until radiation messed it up again.
3. My understanding is, the radiation generally kills of the hair on the tongue but not always. I'll let other chime in on how they dealt with that.

- 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