Any tongue cancer patients here?

I lost the front left half of my tongue in October 2014 and I still remember how talking was something that was more difficult to do, I had to really think and concentrate on pronouncing my words as clear as I could. I still do, for that matter. First, though, I would like to address the psychological impact my altered speech had on me. I didn't realise how much this would effect my self image, especially in the beginning when my speech was worse. I am more accepting now, of course, but I will never sound like my old self. I am well aware that I am very lucky as things could always be worse. I went to speech therapy for a while but I think I had every side effect from radiation a person can get so I stopped going. I also have radiation fibrosis which effected my speech because of the soreness, but medication seems to be helping. I am a nurse in a busy hospital and my coworkers tell all the time how much better I am talking, and I am not getting many intense looks as people try to concentrate and comprehend me. No one has asked what country I am from in months. If I have learned anything from this site it's that you measure progress in weeks and months so don't get discouraged. You might want to see a speech therapist as there are exercises you can do to strengthen your tongue. I still do them and feel they have really helped me. Good luck to you.

Many times you will find that you are your own worst critic when it comes to your speech.  Most can understand me most of the time, but when meeting someone new or talking on the telephone especially to someone new, it is more difficult to understand me.  The longer people listen to you the easier they will learn your new speech patterns.  There will be words that will always be more difficult to say, so you just think ahead and find other words.  

I had tongue cancer 16 years ago.  I was diagnosed in college and the change in my speech was hard.  The best advice I can give is to strengthen your tongue muscles and get speech therapy.  They will help give you the tools to work on getting those sounds better.  I still hate talking on the phone!  My one regret is that I did not exercise my tongue like I should've.  It is a muscle and needs lots of practice.  Your speech will get better with time and practice but it may never be the same.  I had to accept that, and now it is just a part of who I am.  Good luck!!!

I would agree with all the points made by others - that we're our own worst critics, that it may well likely improve over time, and speech therapy couldn't hurt. I have had two sections removed from my tongue, and another removed from my frenulum (little membrane under the tongue that connects to floor of mouth). I do believe that the more you "practice" - and consciously slow your speech down - it can gradually improve.

(Now undergoing induction chemo to be followed by chemo and radiation - no idea how those will impact speech. Just have to wait and see.)

My husband  has gone through  6 weeks of radiation  after surgeryfor squamous cell  caicinoma,they removed part of his tongue and did a recostructive flap.He has 2 days left with the radiation  therapy he is now having  trouble  eating and drinking  due to his tongue burning, he also has the thicker  saliva and a cough.he has a peg tube which is keeping  him nourished but ANYTHING  that he puts in his mouth burns like hell any suggestions.magic mouthwash  isnt doing ANYTHING.

stevenpepe said:

The letters S and T,

The letters S and T, especially combined, are difficult. As luck would have it, my name starts with those letters. The letters D and X are tough too. The words This and That make me cringe. I am finding that I look for alternative words that I can pronounce better. I never lost the letter F so I may change my name to Frank. Please call me Frank.

I too am about 2.5 months out from a partial glossectomy and am having the same issues with my speech. S and T are for sure the hardest sounds to make and I am very self conscious about talking. I have noticed a slight improvement in the last week however. So I am hoping things will get even better with more time. People who know me well say the biggest difference in my speech is the way I move my mouth as I make more sounds with my teeth which keeps my jaw kind of tight. I have not seen a speech therapist but I'm seriously considering it as I've heard it has helped with others. Good luck to you!

Tommy, ths is very interesting.  Until I read your comment, the thought of whistling never crossed my mind one year post-rads.  Just tried and I can't manage it either, so joke's on me!  Yup, I can't do a mouth clean with tongue either...I chew a sugarless gum after meals and that tends to loosen up stuck bits of food.  I'm tone deaf and sing like a frog, so no problem there...but I can appreciate the loss you feel.  One of the women undergoing rads at the same time I had mine was a taste tester for Coke and lost her job and also sang in her chuch choir.  I felt so bad for her.  Anway, thanks for the whistle alert and keep on truckin'!