Hi all ..new to this group ..my husband was told today he has the above we are not surprised as he had a lump removed from his neck and some lymph nodes 2 yrs ago. He had chemo and radiotherapy and was making a good recovery altho his taste buds were damaged and he lost alot of hearing we were hopeful all would be fine ...early summer this yr dreaded 2020 he started getting different symptoms long story short he was diagnosed today with cancer on the base of his tongue which they think is the primary (it was always thought it was there but too small to see) .This time they said no chemo or radiotherapy but just surgery to remove it ..which could lead to difficulty eating and talking long term ..this is all so scary ..he never cried last time but this time telling our 3 children and our parents was in his words the hardest thing he's ever had to do and he really cried ..he is not scared of the surgery but of the after effects ..things will begin by the insertion of the feed tube , which he had before , then the op itself ..I suppose my question is how have others got on ?
Morning Cissy. Welcome to the community and I am so sorry your husbands cancer has returned. How is he having surgery? There are people on here who have had Robotic surgery and others who have had a Mandibulectomy. It makes a lot of difference as far as recovery is concerned. Do you know yet what they are doing?
I'm sure others will pop on to answer your questions later in the day.
All the best for now
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hello Cissy , welcome to the head and neck group, so sorry to hear that the cancer has returned,i know the feeling only to well. This sounds very similar to my first encounter where i had " floor of the mouth cancer" plus part of my tongue. Your husband might have skin grafts but depends on how involved the operation is. He will have speech and swallow trouble, to begin with, but with exercises and patience, it will improve. I was well on my way to speaking normally and eating softer food but the second cancer came along and put a stop to that but it does show that the side effects are treatable a fixable, you might find he will have to be more choosey with the foods he eats, im sure the dietician will help in this matter. Great news he is having a PEG fitted as it will come in handy as he knows from experience.
He might speak slightly differently once recovered but nothing to get to upset about, the same with the eating. I hope this has given you and your husband some hope that life after cancer is not always as bad as it seems, i think this is where Dr. Google messes people's minds up. Its good to cry sometimes letting some of the emotions go, please let us know how you get on and re-post if you need further help, advice, or just a chat. Wishing you all the best for Christmas, take care, be safe.
Chris x
Its sometimes not easy but its worth it !
So sorry to hear yr cancer has returned 
he has had to be picky with foods since his first treatment and surgery he is a fighter even worked thru the first treatments til it got too much he is so much pain now but still works thats his way of dealing with it ..he has had days where morphine has taken over but generally he just takes it to sleep better ..I will ask about surgery last time they used a robot the guy we see is top in our area but he is consulting with London he said he will try for London but if not he will get London to us so fingers crossed we get the best ....I will look at yr blog thank u
Hi Cissy. That good news if they can do it robotically. Let us know how you get on if you’re up to it and thank you for sharing what’s happening. It gives much hope to others. I hope you manage some sort of Christmas
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
