My surgery was originally scheduled for 12:30PM today but the nurse called at 9:30 last night and asked if I could be at the hosp. at 5:30AM for a 7:30 surgery. I said "HECK YEAH", I'm an early riser any way. Paper work and prep completed and the wall clock said 7:24AM when they wheeled me into the operating room. I remember sliding onto the operating table and nothing else until I woke up in the recovery room about 9:15. Felt pretty good, hardly any pain. Drank a small cup of water and a small cup of coffee and by 9:45AM I was dressed and being wheeled to the front door for discharge.
We stopped on the way home to pick up drugs (oxycodone) and by the time I got home (about an hour after we left the hosp) I was ready for a dose. The pain,for me, is fairly mild except when I move my tongue or swallow. It is now 7:45PM and I still don't try to talk but I have had some coffee and an Insure. (butter pecan doesn't taste too bad).
Don't know for sure how much tongue I'm missing but it feels like it won't effect my speech or ability to swallow once the pain subsides and the stitches dissolve. My wife says it looks like the lower right side of the tongue looks like it has a zipper in it. The doc says he thinks he got it all and he didn't see anything in the throat or vocal chords that concerned him. He didn't do a neck dissection (didn't see the need). Review of additional lab results in a week or so will determine if further treatment is necessary but he doubts it will be.

I know many of you are hoeing a much tougher row than I am and I feel incredibly blessed that this disease seems to have been caught early in my case. I can only offer moral support as you are for me any I will pray for your recovery if you like.

Bud