Chandra,

Your position sounds similar to where I was 3 � years ago. I�ve had many surgeries to improve speech and swallowing issues along with teeth implants. My speech and swallowing ability has improved, however it will never be like it was before cancer. Without a fully functioning mobile tongue + lower facial structural damage I will continue to have issues.

My rebuilt tongue flap isn�t mobile. I can�t lift it. I can�t poke it out or move it around freely. When diagnosed my cancer was located under my tongue and cancer had spread through the floor of my mouth to a neck lymph node. Surgeons removed the floor of my mouth and permanently stitched the replacement tongue flap to fill the crater in my mouth. My Plastic Surgeon has performed skin grafts and other procedures to extend and free up sections of my tongue flap.

For lots of reasons your Surgeon will be cautious and provide options to suit your history. They will take into consideration any nerve or radiotherapy damage your rebuilt tongue flap and surrounding soft tissue has. Our mouth cavity doesn�t heal well after radiotherapy, so there will be a lot of ifs and buts depending on your situation. Surgeons tend to take it slowly when doing reconstructive surgery. They do a bit, and then wait until everything heals and then do a bit more. It can be a long process for some of us but necessary to spread surgery out for healing purposes and also avoid making our issues worse.

Good luck at your medical appointment.

Karen