Hey Drew,
welcome to the club no one ever wants to belong to. I want to encourage you that just by being here, you have all of us behind you; not just in this blog, but each of us in our own way, will think of you and send you strength for this journey. It is life-changing for sure....and can be so in many good ways.
I went to my doctor for a bump on my tongue, that felt like a pea husk. She sad, "I don't like it", and sent me, right then, to an ENT. He didn't like it, either, and ordered a biopsy, then and there. I was on my lunch hour! Anyhow, before he did the biopsy, I said, "is it cancer...?" and bless him, he nodded vigorously "YES" while saying we have to wait for the results. So the first time, I had just the partial glossectomy, about 1/3 left side of my tongue, and lymph nodes removed left side of neck. When it came back 4 years later, I was crushed. The 2nd surgery was aggressive: more tongue, floor of mouth left side, 3 molars, and a free flap. So for the flap, where they have to replace some of the tissue in your mouth, they take a chunk of your inner forearm, including the veins, which apparently fit nicely with blood vessels in your mouth. Also I had to have a stomache tube since the mouth was going to be seriously out of commission. So I was def Ms Frankenstein for awhile this time. But I had a lot of loving support from family and friends, and I have a strong faith....well, stronger since all this. So everything healed pretty well, I didn't have to have speech therapy, bc my job required me to talk a lot, and it helped.
When it came back a third time, a few years later......it really took the wind out of my sails. It was time for radiation. I promised to chug Ensure and keep my weight up so I wouldn't have to have a stomache tube again (hated it). So 5 days a week, 7 weeks, I went and they lasered away in my mouth. They make a plastic mesh mold of your head and shoulders, and lock you down to keep you still. I saved mine for the last ten years, as a reminder......anyway. It worked, and I found out how loved I was, by the enormity of the prayer chain that lifted me up.
I'm new here. Just found out about this site. I welcome anyone to ask anything of me. And I feel honored to join you.
Nunny
Virginia
