Operation Recovery

Glad to hear you’re out of surgery

I really hope you can avoid RT

we are all different regarding recovery so it’s difficult to put a time scale on paper.
Laura Marston who is on social media and works with the swallows charity has learned to speak and eat after having her whole tongue removed. it took her a year or more. Folk have made huge improvements in their recovery

Best wishes 

Wow that is amazing, I wouldn’t have thought that possible, with the whole tongue being removed. How brave and focussed of her, that’s inspirational 

Hi Debbie pleased you are out of hospital fingers x you don’t need radiotherapy but if you do we’re here to help. 
yes Laura is an inspiration she’s written a cook book as well. Both Dani snd I know another lady who has had  2/3vrds if her tongue removed and replaced with part of her calf. She’s just returned from a holiday in the Lake District where she managed a10  course taster menu. It’s early days for you so take  if one day at a time please. I know you’ve turned down the n g tube but if you need it it’s not that bad I had mine in for 6 weeks and my swallow wasn’t affected at all but it allowed me to recover.  But as we all say we are all different . 
yes you will be able to eat solids and once the swelling goes down and with help of speech therapist your voice will return others have done. 
keep in touch remember pain killers are there to be used. 
hugs 
Hazel xx

Debbie if you can manage without that tube and without hurting yourself in the struggle to eat you must surely be well on the way to keeping function going. I take my hat off to you  and YOU are the inspiration  

it’s all about getting proper physio ….please let us know how you do. 

OMG Debbie you are doing so well keep it up . Drinking water really helps with the swallow and there is exercises you can do but best wait to see expert first. All the Best Regards Minmax

Thank you so much, I love all the great support and advice. I think I am expecting too much too soon. Also this evening I was watching the Tonight Program and some people are not even been seen yet. I have so much to be grateful for. Thank you xx

I try to drink every half hour, and I’m on ensures which I thin down with gold cap milk, I can’t do it quickly it takes a while to finish it. It will be a while before I dare try anything else, but I am going to do my best, especially after the support on here x

Thanks Dani, to me all if you on here are inspirational, right from the start you have given support snd advice that is true and not from Mr Google. I hope one day I can be as helpful x

Hi Debbie. After my treatment I too had ensure s  what I did was stand at the kitchen window pick a focal point and sip. It could  take me up to 30 mins to get through one. I even heated don’t tell hubby I tipped some  down  the sink when he thought I had drunk it all oops. 
Now very occasionally I have one if our on bike can drive I one in one go. 
just remember they help the healing process. Plus are you taking laxido if you are on heavy painkillers xx

Hazel x

Hi Debbie

My consultant told me it would be awful for 4 weeks but then I would see a great improvement and she was absolutely right.  SALT were brilliant too in giving suggestions to help with the swallow and giving me exercises to strengthen it both before my TORS and afterwards.

You're doing well with your shakes etc.  I was the same and thought I wasn't doing very well but my consultant disagreed so I'm sure it's the same for you too.

Good luck.

Linda x