Andrea,

I sat in your spot a couple of years ago. For me, the hemiglossectomy and neck dissection were not the hard part, talking and eating afterward were. My physician used alloderm instead of a graft from my arm and it healed beautifully. Can't really tell I had the surgery unless I stick my tongue straight out and there is a slight curve in on the right side, even though I lost 25% of my tongue. Oh yeah, and the scar on my neck is a clue, but it hides in a natural fold in the skin.

Since I was T1N0M0, no radiation or chemo for me. Without the added treatment, my tongue felt pretty numb for almost a year and I still slur my speech when I have been talking a lot or I am tired.

I was in ICU 2 nights on a vent due to swelling, and in the hospital an additional 4 days.

I wish you the best, and will be praying the road ahead is not too bumpy. I will be having a biopsy of my alloderm graft on Monday for a study my ENT is doing, and I am hoping the research allows more patients this option. (and that I don't swell up again and slur for weeks...)

Sincerely,
Lisa