Peace,

I had little or no pain when I woke up. The doctors and nurses who deal with this kind of cancer also know what sorts of pain medication are needed to help patients get through the recovery period. Mostly what I remember was being groggy and trying to get used to the tubes that were in me. When you're coming out of major surgery like this, you're monitored very closely, especially for the first 24-48 hours, to be sure you're stable and can rest as much as possible.

Cathy

Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989