I have had an "ulcer: on my tounge since August. My dr finally refered me to an ENT. They did a biopsy last Thursday. The results are in SCC. I have to go back for addl tests tomorrow or Friday to see if it has spread.

I am so baffled. I suppose I do not understand how this happened! Just turned 23, smoked for 3 yeart on & off about 1/2 pack a day or less. Decided to quit recently, I was just married!

I am just so upset & angry. Is that normal? What am I to expect? My dr says it is smaller than he thought so that was good news. I just pray it has not spread.

Shaylynn:

Welcome to OCF. You will find lots of support here to help guide you thru this. Many people here have been right where you are and will help you. We do understand its a very scary time for you right now.

You are young to have to go thru this, but its not unheard of. We have another active memeber who is your age and had a young girl who was only 18 here too. All have made it thru their battles. Being young will be to your advantage to fight this.

I know its very early in finding out and probably your head is spinning right now. After your get a PET scan that will determine if the cancer has spread and what Stage you are. From what you worte, it sounds like no treatment plan is set up yet.

My words of advice....EAT. Eat like crazy now, dont worry about gaining weight, just eat everything you want. Some treatments can be pretty rough and can affect your sense of taste for a long time.


Please feel free to ask questions. There is also the main pages of OCF which is full of important info.

may want to look at finding out if you have HPV, since your age and other risk factors seem minimal... but sometimes there is no known cause and it still happens. main thing is to face it and fight it head on. yes, getting angry is normal ... denial is normal ... they are all stages of dealing with something so traumatic. feel free to voice your worries here and let off steam when you need to - whatever it takes to get thru it we will be here to listen and help all we can.

ACk. I am 23 and just finished treatments at the end of July for stage IV tongue cancer so I know exactly how you feel. I think Christine is talking about Hayley. We both have blogs that we keep updated if you want to check them out (they're a good way to keep family updated without having to make phone calls). Mine starts back at the beginning when I got my diagnosis. You definitely have the age advantage for getting through this! Keep us posted on all your tests and treatment plans. The people on here are great and are super helpful. You can private message or email me if you have any questions or care to vent. It's a lonely world out there being young with cancer sometimes.

No one can answer why, but don't beat yourself up about the past! Stay positive - sounds like it has been caught very early and early detection equals a cure.

Many will tell you to make sure you get to a Comprehensive Cancer Center who will use a team approach to handle your cancer. I was diagnosed at 49 and can only IMAGINE how difficult it must be to say the words "23" and "cancer" in the same sentence. Yes it would be extremely normal to be angry and go through the "why me" stuff, but it won't help you move forward. Acknowledge the injustice of it all and focus on getting cured.

We are here for you and you will find such incredible support and experience here that you soon learn to post all your questions and fears. We understand and will assist where we can. Keep posting.

Donna

Shaylynn,

I am so sorry you have to deal with this when you are so young. Christine is right though that your youth may help you get through the treatments and recover more quickly. The other 23 year-old who posts here often (look for her posts under sobradley - you can find her posts by looking under the User List near the top of the page) should be really helpful for you. You'll know a lot more about what to expect once you get all of your initial tests.

Shaylynn,
Glad you found this site. At this point it doesn't matter what caused your cancer, it is not your fault. Mine was caused by the HPV virus.

I too was scared and upset when diagnosed. It is very normal and understandable. Did your ENT refer you to a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC)? If not, I would recommend you get to one near your home for testing and treatment. Please keep us posted as you learn more. We'll be able to let you know more about what to expect once you are staged and a treatment plan is put in place. Hang in there.

Thank you all for your responses. I am glad to hear everyone says my age may help things!

My dr. Said to eat too. I just don't know what to eat.I eat 1 meal a day and I am alraedy obese! Yikes!

I am a huge blogger so that - know will help.I am so thankful I found this site!

Eat everything that you have been avoiding because it was too "unhealthy." I can't even begin to tell you how many buttercream frosting cakes I consumed leading up to my surgery (they're my weakness). So, throw calories out the window and just eat whatever you want to!

Shaylynn,

I would recommend eating food that is good for you to help build up your immune system as much as possible and I would also recommend getting your fill of your favorite foods. Depending on your treatment, food may not taste good for a while after you're finished so you should enjoy it now.

Is the ulcer on the front part of your tongue?