I am pretty young too (30). Had a leukoplakia on the right side of my tongue removed three weeks ago. The surgery was an outpatient procedure and took less than an hour. I lost a few pounds and talked with a lisp for a few days, but within less than a week I was back to work.

Google is extremely unhelpful. I drove myself crazy reading dozens of contradictory studies. The good thing is, you caught it early. It seems to me one is never quite out of the woods, but as long as you and your doctor keep an eye on it, it is manageable.

Reading the stories on this forum gave me strength and hope and helped me stay positive. If people could endure big surgeries, radiation, and chemo, and go on living, I could stand to lose a little chunk of my tongue.