Hi there! I'm Lyn and am/was/will be again a singer who had tongue cancer. i lost 2/3 of the left side of my tongue, had a reconstruction from a flap from my wrist/6 weeks yukky radation (Big Mac with the works) BUT although it was a bit scratchy for a while, my voice is fine. My Op was on Nov 12 last year 2007 and it only took a few weeks after that silly trach and nose tube feeding me, was removed (after much sooking from me)for me to see hear and feel an improvement. The ONLY difference I can notice (apart from the fact i have a little trouble with my "s's" and my "sh's" sound like "sch's' but they are getting better daily. However, get this...I cough differently...kind of lighter...I really want to do a big deep chest cough but its comes out like 'kaff kaff' (VERY polite) Also, and please excuse me before I say tis but I used to delight in my truckie burps!!(as you will know if you read a few posts of mine, i dont hold back)..my burps used to be legendary (esp coke ones) now they are SO wimpy its more embarrasing...they are now like little..."urp's" hahah (NOONE laughs and I quietly say oooh pardon me"...dreaming of the days I could silence a lunch room watching people trying to guess who could have POSSIBLY done a burp that King Kong would have been proud of! hahah.I LOOK innocent enough but l used to like having that secret vice up my sleeve to shock people who were pretending to be who I knew they werent! hahah.
Anyway, try not to worry, stress also tightens up your vocal cords. The tubes going down the back of your throat (to feed you) plus the trach (grr) would have scratched your throat.
My voice will be fine and I have no doubt I WILL sing again (despite several surgeons telling me I wouldnt (dont tell me I cant do something or Im like a kid...I WILL go and do it to spite them!). You may also have a thrush infection in your mouth (which I did) too ...but please dont take my word for it ask the good ole onc if you do and/or to give you something for it. I coughed..no 'kaffed" a bit when i had one of those and the doc just gave me nilsadt(sp?) which cleared it. Try also steaming your throat with warm water (NOTHING in the water like eucalyptus it as tempting is it seems...remember..im a singer) Maybe also get yourself a humidifier for your house or at least bedroom...you can hire them in OZ from the Pharmacies for almost nothing and that will help you when you sleep.
Hope all this has at least helped a little bit. just remember (as my friends here have reminded me when I was freaking out about one thing or another) it does take a while as it is such an unusual operation. We are lucky...ten years ago...maybe less...our voices would be the least of our worries...we would have left this life and been well ensconced in the next trying to sing with the Angels with our lisps and raspy voices! eeek!
Love and take care Lyn x