Hi Sara--

I am right now sitting in a hotel in Tanzania on safari but in February I lost 3/4 of my tongue to stage 3 oral cancer on bottom of my tongue. The docs reconstructed my tongue with arm tissue with the hope that in time I would be able to talk and eat most foods again. After surgery recovery, I had 40 radiation treatments. I had white patches for 3+ years but at the time was recovering from a cirrhosis diagnosis and making some major lifestyle changes to survive that. I wish I would have addressed it earlier...

Anyway, I am well enough to be here although I think my husband planned this trip as a "trip of a lifetime" because at the time he was afraid it might be my last. But my doctors are good. I am right now completely cancer free.

You will get through this. I still have some issues with eating and talking but most people say they understand me just fine, even on the phone, and I can eat thick liquid foods orally, but while my tongue was rebuilt with arm tissue, I only have muscle tissue on the 1/4 of original tongue that is left.You will still have ALL your muscle. You will most likely have a complete recovery of speech and eating within a week or two, so plan on sleeping, reading some good books or watching trash TV. I slept ALOT at first.

I'll be praying for you, girl. If you ever want to talk let me know. MANY wonderful things happened in my life as a result of this journey and while it has been difficult, I would not change it for anything.