Hi David, I'm hoping I can help you through with this, as I did the same thing as you, and wrote to this site.
For one thing you have to keep in mind is that you need a positive attitude, and the belief in prayer! You’re not going to let this cancer harm you. You will do what ever it takes to fight this disease. There is nothing to be afraid of, you have cancer, and you and your doctor are going to do what ever it takes to make you well.
You have to remember that cancer is now apart of your life, and we will have to live with that, there's nothing we can do to change that, so we have to accept the challenge that god has given us, and go on with our lives. Don't let it rule your life, just accept that its coming along for the ride.
Like I said no matter what always - POSITIVE ATTITUDE!! and PRAYER. It helped me through my ordeal, believe me.
OK! Now I had two in and out procedures. One was to take out a tumor I had next to my tonsil and scope my lower throat area. Second was biopsy of my tonsil and part of my tongue. No problems with those procedures, actually hardly any pain, just a little sore.
If it’s just going to be the back of your tongue and throat, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. My doctor took a small part of the tongue in the back, and cleared a wide margin in my throat area; he had to stitch part of my throat because of the area of cancer and took a little more on one side. He didn't want me swallowing anything so my throat would heal properly. a G tube was inserted in my stomach and I had to use liquid feedings for about a month. Now for me I didn't have a lot of pain, since I couldn't swallow any water either I was given liquid Vicodin, all meds were liquid, So if you go through with this I don't think you should have any problems.
You know, since I had a few more removals done to me, I was in the hospital for about five days, the day after surgery I was determined to get well and I started walking the floor. Since I was on liquids for about a little over a month then started on solid for the following three weeks in total about two months for me. Might be sooner for you if no G tube. To be honest I went through my surgeries pretty good on a scale from 1 to 10 my pain was about 4.
About a month or so after my surgery, I started 33 days of radiation, for precaution, just in case we missed any cancer cells. I had radiation from one side neck behind the ear to the other side. My right side which where the cancer had been located was done with a stronger dose of radiation. So be prepared for sunburn type effect on your neck. I went through the first five weeks pretty much ok to where I worked construction right up to the sixth week, I took off work that last week because the burn on my right side had opened up, like a first or second degree burn so I didn't want to have it open to the air (dust etc). I used Alocane Emergency Room Burn Cream and let me tell you it really healed fast. You just have to take it off before radiation, It was bothersome but you just have to go with the flow and know were getting better. I lost my taste buds, could not taste anything, so I had to go back to my liquid diet again. Finished radiation June 30th and I got my taste buds back about 85% and started eating solid food again on Aug 17th. One think you will find is that sooner or later depression sets in, which is what happened to me, I finally gave in and told the doctor and he gave me Zoloft 100mg. After about two and a half weeks I came out of it, now I feel like a new man!
Write me anytime David I'll help you get through this, God bless you and my prayers are with you, Ron
P.S. Let me know how things are going.