Hi klrm
I had the same as you in 2013. Stage 1 SCC of the tongue with partial glossectomy and neck node removal. Small lesion that was just annoying. Today I am good overall... can talk just fine and look ok minus a major scarr.....totally lucky. Ask your surgeon about the possibility of damaging nerves. They had to "sacrifice" my lingual nerve. This left me with basically a numbness on the left side of face and a burning tongue. You could hit my face very hard and it won't hurt but I know I was hit. I've had to change my diet to very bland foods b/c of the tongue burning. One upside for me is that I got super smell. Can smell things most people can't.

With this disease, you need a team. Your oncologist is the project manager. Their job is to line up people and develop a sequence of events. Make sure every dr you talk to is oncology oriented. I think that if I did/had this, I might have come out in a different place.

I wish you all the best.