This is my first post here.My name is Cathy and I live just north of Toronto. I'm 48, a non-smoker and home from the hospital just 7 days after my surgery. I had a partial glossectomy with the forearm flap and neck dissection. I'm talking pretty well ie. my sister and boyfriend can understand most of what I'm saying. The frustrating part (as I'm sure you all ybderstand too well) is the eating. Soup, yogurt and pudding starts to get boring after awhile but I keep telling myself to be patient.

I'd like to know if there's anyone out there from the Toronto area. And I'd love to here from any of you on the eating/slurping thing. How long did it take for all the numbness and swelling to go away?

Any replies are greatly appreciated!!

Hi Cathy,
I never had surgery so I can't answer your questions but I wanted to welcome you to the site.

I can tell you though that because of the radiation, I was on a liquid diet for many months and it was miserable. I'm eating regular food now including spicey stuff and carbonated beverages. Be patient it'll get better.

Hi Cathy, and welcome. I had the neck dissection and can tell you that there will probably always be a degree of numbness on that side, although two years out, I have regained enough feeling so that I don't notice anymore. I do remember the first time I felt an itch, scratched it, and felt it. This will happen for you too, down the road. As far as the swelling, ask your nurse to show you lateral massage. This is a simple thing done with just the tips of your fingers, very gently, and for me, made an incredible difference and reduced the swelling almost magically. You want to be sure you are doing it correctly, however.

About food, do not forget gravy (grin).

Right now the best thing you can do is be patient. Not easy, but in this case time does heal a lot.

Joanna

Welcome Cathy,

If you can eat soft foods this early you are doing very well. I am 8 months out from right tonsil surgery with a pech muscle flap. I had a feeding (PEG) tube for 7 months. I am eating all my food orally now. I had the tube out about 1 month ago. Remember It gets better!!! You may not be able to tell right away as you will measure your progress in weeks not days. Again I welcome you to a forum and it's members who will help you with as much information as you can ask for.

Dan

Hi Cathy, Glad to hear you're on semi-solid foods already. My docs were the same way, wanted me on semi-solid foods at least before I left the hospital. No peg tube.

Swelling will take a while, I just celebrated a one year anniversary of sorts of one of my neck dissections, and the swelling still comes and goes a little. Numbness will probably be around for a long time, eventually you get used to it.

Keep trying with the eating, part of the problem is just getting used to how to manipulate food with the post surgery tongue. Just let your speach and accent adapt. I sounded a lot like Homer Simpson for a few weeks.

Good luck
Bob

Hi again -thanks for all your responses and encouragement.

I had my first post surgery visit this morning and the doctor says everything looks great. He told me he got all the cancer but it had spread to 4 lymph nodes. All the lymph nodes were removed during surgery. The protocol is if it spreads to one they don't radiate but more than one they do. I have an appointment with the radiologost on 2 weeks. The speech pathologist was quite impressed at how well I could talk and move mt tongue -- both she and my surgeon are urging me to try harder with the eating. I was pretty scrawny before the operation but I've since lost a few more pounds. Have you all noticed that most foods today are low cal and fat free? My nutritionist suggested Hagen Daas (sp?) ice cream.

Hi Cathy, so happy your surgery went well. Your story sounds similar to mine. I had the partial glossectomy, forearm flap and neck dissection in May 2002. The c had spread to two of my lymph nodes, soooo I then had 35 treatments of radiation. God Bless You, it is not an easy road but surely worth it. Carol

Hi Cathyl!

I am squeeling with delight at your good news! I didn't have any surgery but I know how tough the radiation and chemo is. I hope they are doing both. I lost 70 pounds from August to February and have finally but about 15-18 back on in March. It only took about 4000 calories a day for weeks but once it started coming back, life has changed immensely for me.

Good luck on all of your treatments and recovery process! There are lots of resources if you need them. The Procrit people have a neat web service that allows you to sign up when you start radiation and they send you emails of what to expect in terms of side effects, etc., as you progress through your treatment.

Ed

Cathyl,

I found a link I mentioned in my last post:

http://www.procrit.com/oncology/diagnosed/registration.jsp

It seem like a pretty good thing if you are starting chemo/radiation. It is geared towards Procrit and is somewhat of a marketing ploy but if you gain knowledge in treating some of the side effects, it is useful.

Ed

Thanks for the link. I have a question --- because i'm having troubgle swallowing thin liquids i'm not drinking much water at all....and i'm having the dreaded thick mucous problem. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!! :p