Sarah

I am so sorry you are going through this. It is a major challenge and so public when it includes our facial features/speaking/eating. These things are social centerpieces that people focus on naturally daily in our lives. I had a similar process last year and similar challenges. It did take a lot longer than I was expecting to be able to speak and eat. The swelling in my tongue lasted for months. It improved slightly every week but I remember wondering if it would ever come down completely. It does. The hole in my neck was a mess for about 5-6 weeks. My scars are still visible but I sometimes have to point them out to people when I tell my story. Speech and eating are still effected but much better now. People that didn't know me before hear a slight lisp but I rarely have to repeat myself anymore. I eat really slowly and smaller pieces and nothing spicy. No alcohol and really only coffee (not too hot) and water to drink. I really don't miss alcohol except a nice glass of wine with my wife on a special occasion.

Radiation and Chemo will come with their own challenges. I only had radiation. Radiation will jack up your taste buds and burn your mouth and neck. I was down to a very short and simple list of foods to keep my calorie intake at minimum of 2,000 per day. Most things tasted terrible. About 2-3 weeks after my last treatment, flavors started to improve. But, as I am sure you discussed with your medical team, your chances of beating cancer improve significantly with these steps.

Know you are not alone and please keep reaching out to this group for support and help. Wishing you a full recovery and strength for your upcoming treatments.

Nels