Ronnie...I had squammous cell cancer of the tongue in July of 1999 and have survived it since then....I lost over half of my tongue...manage to talk ( with false teeth yet) and love life. I am 62...now living in Arizona (had surgery in Oakland, Calif with Kaiser at the time..1999...with 6 weeks of radiation too but since have retired in Higley (outside of Gilbert, Az)....Life goes on now with the help of a blender. Most people do not realize that you need your tongue to PUSH the food back to your throat to swallow it. I have does wondrous things with this blender....concoctions you would never dream of. After all, once food is in your tummy, it sort of looks all mashed up anyway but you still enjoy the taste. Life may get rough for a while but don't dispair. There is Ensure to drink and the doctors have great liquid foods for a while till your body heals and gets back on track. If you have any problems or questions, feel free to email me and I can answer your questions from what I lived through. Knowlegde is power. This site is a great inspiration to all...Never give up...Love ya all, Flo Keep the faith...