 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | You didn't mention how much tongue was removed, but I'd say that you are way ahead of the curve being one month out from that, esp with a free flap on BOT!
I had a front of tongue free flap done in June 08 and it took me much longer than a month to get near solid food.
With the finding of more SCC on BOT, and a total glossectomy w/free flap at end of Dec 08, I am still dealing with trach and PEG and am not even 'licensed' to drink yet, much less eat! Although some water can now slip by, even my viscous 'junk gunk' has to come out by way of mouth, not swallowed (I do look forward to that so I can sleep more than a couple of hours at a time until the gunk build-up wakens me).
BTW, with the trach it's kind of a Catch 22 -- I need the trach because I have gunk, but having the trach is causing gunk... The situation is improving however, albeit slowly.
Eat some food for me!
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
| 
