Hello all. I was diagnosed with tongue cancer when I was 27 years old. I had surgery and three months later I discovered a tumor in my neck. I had a radical neck dissection followed by radiation therapy.

It has been 11 years since I finished my treatment at SKCC in NYC and I am fine. I have my paranoias and go to check ups more than I need but nobody could say by looking at me that I went through all that. Unless of course they get really close and look at the scars in my neck. It took me a while to improve my speech after the partial glossectomy but I speak well although there was a change. I have limited movement of my left arm and sometimes I get ugly spasms between my neck and my shoulder, especially during periods when I don't work out.

I met two other young women that had cancer but they both died unfortunately. I guess I was very lucky because my cancer was caught in time and because I was treated in such a wonderful hospital by a brilliant doctor who did a marvelous job on my neck. It was quite an experience and it certainly changed my life and my perspective.