hello everyone. my name is laura, i'm 25 yrs old and my dad was diagnosed in december with a tumor at the base of his tongue which had spread to four of his lymph nodes. he underwent 7 weeks of radiation every day, along with 3 does of cysplatin (sp?) the doctors were hoping that he would not require surgery, but we just found out today that he will need a partial glossectomy. he has never been a smoker, non drinker, and he tested negative for HPV. he's a runner, a mtn. biker, a yoga doer, an avid golfer, and a veggie eater. i am actually pretty angry about the whole thing. what's perhaps cruelly ironic, i am currently in graduate school getting my masters in speech lang pathology. i know all to well exactly what a partial glossectomy can mean for both his speech and his swallowing. i suppose i could use some words of encouragement here...his favorite thing in the world (besides me of course, hahah) is chocolate cake. someone please tell me they have had a portion of their tongue removed and are still able to eat chocolate cake....