Hello

Hi Jinty, I had a TORS tonsillectomy and neck resection in 2019. I undertook the operations with a plaster cast for a broken elbow which was then repaired in the same month, so July 2019 was very busy!I really didn’t have any problems and was riding my bike trainer in the garage between operations (I couldn’t ride on the road with the broken elbow). No problems with digestion or eating - I was more focussed on each upcoming surgery! Occasional paracetamol for pain but not really that much. So if you assume that best case for hubby is that he will sail through it like me, or worst case he will have an experience like Peter. Or I guess probably somewhere in between.

You guys are the best. Thank you. Just wondering how long after tonsillectomy did folk start their radiotherapy treatment? 

Generally they look to start within 6 weeks of surgery 

6 weeks after surgery for me too.

Linda x

Another step forward. PET scan showed small tumour at base of tongue on left hand side they have decided this is the primary. Obviously showed issues with lymph node that we already knew about. Showed activity at top molar on right side, but they hope this is just a gum infection rather than related to the cancer. Surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, but they are saying they will most only biopsy the tongue and not take the tonsils as originally planned, but we wondered if we would be best requesting that they take them anyway as they will be in there. Any one else elected to do this when consultant said it wasn't required? 

Hi Jinty

I had a T2 base of tongue cancer. There is lymph tissue (lingual tonsils) at the base of your tongue. I didn't have surgery at all, Just RT. The RT pretty well destroyed my tonsils...at least I can't see them any more

Hi Amy cancer was in my right tonsil I didn’t have it taken out just biopsy. One if reasons was mine was in the tonsil at crypt aLos 7  lymph nodes    I went to the tried and trusted route way chemo radiation lI am now 3.5 years post treatment and happily living my life. 
Hazel

Hi Jinty, glad they seem to have found the primary. 

I guess they will make a final decision once the biopsy has been done on the tongue.  You don't want to remove the tonsils unless there is good reason to do so.  If for no other reason than the pain associated with that procedure!  I had mine initially biopsied (along with other parts of my mouth) as they thought the cancer was there, then when there was no sign of it they took them as a precaution.  But I am a rather different case to the normal one for H&N.

I too had my PET scan glowing in my jaw.  That was identified as a dental problem and I had the hospital take the offending molar out so that it did not confuse any subsequent scans - it was a mess under that tooth, but at least I did not have to pay to have it done . 

Good luck for Tuesday.

Hi Jinty

I had a biopsy of the base of my tongue but no removal of tonsils.  It wasn't even mentioned.  Maybe they mentioned a tonsillectomy originally as they were unsure of the primary at the time?

I did go on to have robotic surgery to remove the tumour from the base of my tongue followed 6 weeks later with radiotherapy.

Linda x

Hi Jinty

my tumour was between the soft and hard palate.

after my scans they found a wide vallecula cyst in my throat, not cancerous and harmless. I asked my surgeon if he could reach it to whip that out as well as I was concerned it may turn Funny in the future and he agreed! 

it’s worth asking!! 

Good luck with it all 

Elaine