Hello All,

I know some are you are familar with my posts regarding my father in law and his diagnosis of malignant oral melanoma.I wanted to keep you all updated plus pose a few new questions to the forum.

He had an appointment today to see his head and neck surgeon to sign consent forms for Fridays surgery.The doctor also wanted to discuss the results of his latest head&neck MRI.It seems this MRI shows that his tumor has spread to the right side of his tongue also.The doctor says he can't feel it past the midline from the left but the MRI shows it has invaded the right side now.He said if this remains to be true he will have to take his whole tongue.He also went into detail of how the rest of the procedure will go.First he has to have a trach tube put in.He said that the nodes in the left side of his neck show mets.So first he has to have a radical neck recection.Then along with part or all of his tongue he will take parts of the back of his throat and his hard palate.

It could even go further than that he said if he can't get all the cancer through his mouth he may have to cut his jawbone in half and swing it open like a door so he can get all the cancer out cleanly.After all this had been said he said there still may be a chance that he can't get all the cancer.This was just terrible news all the way around.My father in law cried all the way home from the doctor and I tried to comfort him but all the words I have to say seem so miniscule compared to what he has to endure.


I have a few questions for the forum now.

(1) Did anyone have their whole tongue removed?
(2) The doctor says he won't able to swallow if his tongue is removed.Can you speak???

There are probably other things that I am forgetting to add but I wanted to post so I can release some of this.I hope this wasn't to long or to graphic for anyone.If this was to graphic I'm truly sorry.


Thank you again for all your help everyone.
Patty