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#147833 04-05-2012 05:25 PM
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I talk for a living and my speech is important due to on the phone 8 hours a day. Since my surgery (partial glossectomy),I find if I speak longer than a few minutes with out a break my mouth hurts.
Will it get better or will have have this pain forever?


squamous cell carcinomas Stage 2, 1/26/2012. Surgery 2/15/2012 - Finished Chemo 5/18/2012 Finishing Radiation 5/29/2012
So make every minute count-Jump up, jump in and seize the day-And let's make sure that in every single possible way -Today is gonna to be a great day
BuffaloFan #147834 04-05-2012 05:31 PM
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Fred....

My mouth hurt too when I talked for a long period of time. It should get better, but I do talk with a lisp the "s" and "ch". If I talk too fast my words run together I've learned to talk slower.

If I eat certain foods my tongue feels like it's twice as big, milk products.

Take care,
Connie


SCC. of the left lateral tongue, anterior two thirds, T1 possibly a T2.
Left partial glossectomy, left selective neck dissection 4/21/09. Nodes clean, No Rad, No Chemo.

CT Scan 9/11 clean, CT Scan 9/12 clean


Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. A+.

My hometown Lockport, NY.



ConnieFL #147836 04-05-2012 05:55 PM
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I guess I am just afraid if cannot talk then cannot work frown


squamous cell carcinomas Stage 2, 1/26/2012. Surgery 2/15/2012 - Finished Chemo 5/18/2012 Finishing Radiation 5/29/2012
So make every minute count-Jump up, jump in and seize the day-And let's make sure that in every single possible way -Today is gonna to be a great day
BuffaloFan #147839 04-05-2012 06:55 PM
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I am a teacher--of music, specifically choir, voice, and general music. I expect things of my voice that few would.
I do have a slight lisp. I gather that it sounds worse to me than what it really is. I do not have the lisp when I sing. It does not hurt when I talk, and I talk or sing a lot during school hours. I have directed variety shows and musicals since getting out of treatment. But not while I was in treatment, which is where you are, correct? I think that would have been impossible for me to do. I just did not feel well enough, and I was fatigued, and when one is fatigued, it shows up in the voice. That may be why you have pain, especially after talking for hours.

At the end of radiation I tested out my singing voice and found that I had "big chunks" of pitches missing, or so it seemed, but that rapidly improved. I already had excellent technique which I had learned years ago and had repeatedly practiced.

You could certainly see a speech pathologist and get some exercises that could improve things for you. Good breathing technique can help you. I did find out recently that my larynx looks good, unharmed(videostroboscopy) even if my thyroid has taken a hit.

Best,
Anne


SCC tongue 9/2010, excised w/clear margins:8 X 4 mm, 1 mm deep
Neck Met, 10/2010, 1 cm lymph node; 12/21/'10: Neck Diss 30 nodes, 29 clear, micro ECE node, part tongue gloss, no residual scc
IMRT & 6 cisplatin 1/20/11-2/28/11 at MDA
GIST tumor sarcoma, removed 9/2011, no chemo needed
Clear on both counts as of Fall, 2021
AnneO #148057 04-10-2012 08:51 AM
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My surgery was three years ago and while my mouth does not hurt to talk I do have trouble with L and D. I have learned to speak slower and clearer but on the phone even when I spell L and D peope have troule understanding me (my name has both Ls and Ds in it). If I speak for a long time my mouth dries out so I've learned to be brief. I have to say I've become use to it and it doesn't bother as much as it did at first. It will get better.

sandisays #148061 04-10-2012 12:29 PM
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I have some speech issues as well, but some days it is better than others. I agree; talking on the phone seems to be the worst.


Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive
surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.
zengalib #148175 04-12-2012 08:44 PM
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yep, the phone is my nemesis. Had half my tongue reconstructed and my speech feels like its worlds different, but a lot of people say its not that bad. Hopefully you can take some solace in that its probably not as bad you think as well.


8/24/11- SCC stage3:tongue reconstruct from left arm & radical neck, feeding tube,trache.
3/28/12- SCC:radical neck again,chemo/radiation.
Started Cisplatin/radiation 5/2/12. Finished 6/13/12.
37yr old male.
7/19/13: All checks/scans have been good. Body weight and strength have return.

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