Hi Landa

I just went thru surgery for SCC on my tongue (removed 50% and rebuilt it with forearm skin) and lymph nodes (removed 18) on 4/1/20. I also went thru 30 days of radiation treatment completed on 7/8/20. I experienced both a hairy tongue (my arms are hairy) and a weak shoulder. Being young and active will help his recovery. For reference, I am 52 and a lifelong active person.

Regarding the hairy tongue, I was told by the doctors that radiation will kill all the hair. Since I believed them, I enjoyed the novelty of it, freaked out my kids, and took a few pics for posterity. The doctors were right. I have not had a single hair since radiation. I also heard, if you don't get radiation, you can have it removed by laser or other techniques.

I was much more worried about losing shoulder function. They said for some, it's permanent, and really hard to predict. My current outdoor passion is surfing. My right shoulder (side of surgery) was quite weak after surgery and I had limited range (barely lift my arm to shoulder high). Even in the hospital, I started doing simple exercises. I learned to judge improvement in weeks not days. It took about 5 weeks before I got back in the water. That first session out after surgery was my worst-best of my life. I got my butt kicked, barely caught a few waves, but it never felt so good. And, every week, I got a little stronger.

As of today, I can not tell the difference. It has been about 5 months. Praying for successful surgery, clear margins, and a full recovery for your husband. BTW, we lived in SLC for 12 years, mostly in Sandy. Skied, rock climbed and mountain biked all around the Wasatch.

Stay safe and keep the faith.

Nels