hi Kate!
I hear you about having trouble saying your name!

My daughter's name is Kate and I have a hard time saying "k" or "c"s. (I have 1/2 a tongue left)
Often people hear her name as "paige"
sometimes I will add "its short for Katherine" sometimes that helps, sometimes not.
my own name michelle is easier, although people don't always hear that. When I'm ordering a coffee or something I'll just give a different name! I usually us "Stacy".

oh, and it is really hard for me to order "decaf" - that frequently is not understood. My adaption/coping mechanism has been to re-phrase the word or try to describe it so I'll order "coffee, decafinated" and that works a lot better.

On the positive side, after 5 1/2 years post-cancer my speech is MUCH better

Everyone:
Yeah, I've gotten those kind of what-happened-to-you questions. I don't mind it usually - because I know people wonder, so I am glad to be able explain that it was cancer. Oral cancer still is not encountered by many people.

I kind of liked it in a way when I had the noticeable scars - because it was obvious that something happened. Now I just talk funny!

But hey I'm still here, so I am happy!!!!
(Of course there are good days and bad. Days of feeling blessed for what I have, days of feeling like "poor me")
Hang in there!!!
michelle