Hi Jenka- I'm 35 was diagnosed at 33 and I had similar medical experience to you. No one thought anything was wrog with me. They kept looking in my ears when I told them my ear ached like hell.They thought I was a hypochondriac and had a bad cold or flu. It took me to the point of crying in the Drs. office from the pain I was in to finally get a referral to an ENT- meanwhile I should have been on painkillers and had gotten a biopsy a this point. It took another three weeks of being in total agony when I got the test results back. It was horrible shock but at least I knew what was wrong.

I am so sorry that you experienced the same thing. I too didn't have risk factors. I think the more we get the word out the less this will happen. My ENT was visibly angry that i had been let go to the point I had. Its a shame.

So congratulations on making it through a VERY rough surgery.
Jenka you are a rock star! So I had skin grafts to build my tongue and chemo and radiation in addition to the glossectomy. The radiation sucked worse than the chemo-- or maybe it was the combo. It wasn't fun but there were only a few weeks were it was really a bummer. It was just more uncomfortable and gross than anything else.I just read a lot of books and watch a lot of TV and movies and slept a lot... I'm so sorry you have to do it. The cisplatin made me feel a little funny- but they pump you up with tons of anti-nausea drugs these days. I just felt strange on it and I did have some ear ringing and night sweats-- my legs allso twitched a lot -- but that is all long gone now.. Everybody reacts a little bit differently of course but I thought it was manageable. If you experience any extreme nausea the chemo doc will infuse you with fluids to get your electrolites back in line...They did that for me at the end when I had some bad nausea. It was only a few times and just at the every end of the treatments

From my understanding the chemo sensitizes any stray chemo cells so that the radiation can zap them. They will throw the book at you because you are young and they want to make sure it is gone for good. You don't want to have to think or worry about about a recurrance because getting rid of it a 2nd time is a lot more complicated- especially with this kind of cancer.


Hang in there girlie! This will be over soon and you can get to the business of healing and rehablitating and moving on.

Thinking of you! I know how much this is just not fun


KATE