Need some help and advise mum has cancer diagnosis

[mickeyspal]

Yes I do have experience. Firstly sorry to hear about your mum,
My mum had this , it started off as a tiny lump that was diagnosed as a blocked saliva gland by the dentist but it turned out to be cancer.
She had to have an operation to remove half her tongue.
It sounded so horrific for her ,she almost didn't go ahead .
The day before her op, she had a 'peg' feeding tube fitted into her tummy as she wouldn't be able to eat for quite a while after.
The surgeon was brilliant he explained everything to us.
Mum was on ICU for 24 hrs after a 9 hour op then moved to the ward.
I was amazed that she was talking within 4 days , sometimes a bit difficult to understand , but that got better as time went on.
She had a tracheostomy tube which came out after about a week and left a small scar .
The actual operation scar was big but not that noticeable. It was down the centre of her bottom lip , around the bump of her chin then along the jawline to her ear.after it had faded it was hardly noticable.
She made a great recovery and had 7 years with no problems before she sadly died of an unrelated illness.
Good luck to you all , it's difficult but I'm sure she will be fine. Let us know how she gets on xx

[Feebee2]

I'd speak to one of the cancer charities and see what advice they have.
Please look after yourself. Just remember a bit of housework not done or an extra takeaway meal won't harm during a busy and stressful time xxx

[Disney_time]

macmillan.uk/informa.../tongue-cancer

So sorry to hear about this news. McMillan is a great source of information and there is also an 0800 number on the above page. Hopefully at your mum's hospital appointment you will meet a nurse specialist for head and neck cancers who will be your lifeline and link. Your mum will need to give permission for them to discuss her case with you, so make sure you have that conversation.

[DISNEYALI]

Thank you all for your kind words and advice I have looked up some of the links and gained more information for myself.
The full mri was done yesterday and this morning she has a CT scan. She looks so vulnerable and frightened it breaks my heart and poor dad is suffering as well. Probably doesn't help that Mum is 75 and dad is 79 it is really taking their toll on them x

[JackyH]

Have no experience of this type of cancer but just wanted to send my best wishes and hope your mum has a full recovery. Take care.

[Jakey Neverland]

My nan had exactly the same thing done, they took her tongue and rebuilt it with a lymph gland and other tissues. She then had I think radiotherapy weekly for a period of time.

She was a trooper and never complained which I imagine if it had been me I would have been miserable but she got on with it as she needed to. It was a liquid diet for quite some time whilst her new tongue was healing then blended down dinners etc. She coped and made a full recovery. Her speech afterwards completely returned to normal, I remember she needed lots of tissues as it was more difficult to swallow at first. Otherwise what sounds and is horrific can heal and become normal again, its a long road but as I say she returned to how she was before hand after the healing time and you would have never have known what she had been through.

I wish your mum a speedy recovery x

[MrsEgg]

My Nan (82) went through tongue cancer a few years ago now, she had part of her tongue removed and a skin graph done. She did struggle to start with, although I think a lot of it was all the fuss. The dieticians were very good with helping with eating and the speach therapist was also really good. I'd say 6 months on and she was talking with just a slight lisp and could he most soft foods. There will be a lot of things thrown at you from different people, try and make notes of who is who.

[Shmee]

Hi, my dad had tongue cancer which was spotted by the dentist. He had it successfully removed and a skin graft to reconstruct his tongue. It was a difficult journey for him affecting his speech and ability to eat but he was looked after incredibly well by the NHS. This was over 15 years ago and he has led a full life following his recovery. It’ll be hard for you all while she’s going through the procedure and during the recovery stage but it’s truly amazing how the whole team - doctors, nurses, speech therapists etc work together to get such amazing results.

Good luck and best wishes to your mum and all of the family. I’ll be thinking about you all, stay strong and positive and keep us updated with her progress.

[Therigbys]

Sorry to hear this, but some positive messages here, wishing her well xx

[THE WIZARD]

How are you feeling today ? How is your mum coping? Hopefully all the good reassurances you have had on here will make you both feel a bit more confident. So many good posts on here for you to tell your mum about.