My boyfriend Peter (tongue cancer t1, n0) is home! Surgery removed 1/3 of the tongue (side right, and underside right), and 40 nodes from all zones of the right side of his neck.

Surgery was about 7 hours.
Recover time in the hospital was 7 days.

He's been home a week now, and has more pain at night than during the day. He's on Percocet every 4 hours, and Roxanol (morphine) as needed in between. Pain centers around the tongue and under the chin mostly. There are also many electric shock pains throughout, due to nerves coming back online or at least trying to. He had one horrific day of extreme constipation with lots of i-can't-move pain. The various kinds of pain (espec. nerves) make concentrating for very long a no-way.

He's eating well, finally -- soups, shepherd pie, cheese enchilada...

GOOD NEWS: All 40 nodes returned CANCER-FREE!!!

Thank you all!

What wonderful news, Mary. Thank you so much for letting us know. We need to hear that kind of news. From here on out, Peter will be getting a little better every day, I think. Some days no progress will be visible, and on others there will be a great leap. I am very happy for you both!
Joanna

Great news Mary!!! Thanks for letting us know. As Joanna says the healing process is gradual and hard to realize sometimes.

If the pain is greater at night, you might try elevating his head (upper body)to sleep. Might help.

Keep us posted,
Dinah

Awesome news Mary! Thank you for sharing with us.
When I first came home from the hospital, tomato soup was my favorite! Sounds like Peter is eating great.

I will never forget the relief I felt when my nodes came back clean. Congrats to you both.

thanks, all! we're hanging in there with great relief re: cancer-free nodes. does this mean this round of cancer is over and done with? i'm freaked by someone's post of her mom having tongue cancer surgery in feb 2002 and now it's in her lungs....maybe that person didn't have nodes removed at the time of tongue surgery?

xo,
mary