On March 1st 2011, I got a call from my Oral Surgeon that my pathology report came back positive with Cancer. The diagnosis: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue.
Let's back up a bit.
Last April, the husband and I, along with some friends and family, went on a Western Caribbean Cruise. We got to the port, got rid of our luggage, and were waiting outside in a lineup to enter the government building. I recall standing there and realizing I had bit my tongue. I don't recall exactly when it happened, it could have been that day, could have been in Florida prior to the cruise, I just remember that it was then that I had first started this journey.
I bit my tongue. Who was I going to tell? I mean, how many times a year do you bite your tongue and think to yourself, "Ouch! Oh well, it will heal in a few days!" Well, that's what I thought and would continue to think. Who would be thinking about a sore on their tongue when enjoying Mexico, Belize, and Honduras?!
Anyways, I let it go and didn't really mention it to anyone, except maybe my husband from time to time. It wasn't that big and it really didn't bother me. I just couldn't get rid of it. Anyone who knows me knows that I can be stubborn. Plus, there were so many distractions this year that the months just flew by...and all of a sudden we are in October.
In October, I went for my routine teeth cleaning with my dentist. After he cleaned my teeth I briefly mentioned to him that there was a sore on my tongue. At this point, there were some small pea-like bumps forming around the outside of the sore. I was concerned but was told it was probably scar tissue from the sore.
In January, the sore still did not heal. I went to my dentist again and he suggested I see the Oral Surgeon about possibly having the bumps biopsied. I went to see him and he said that it could be biopsied but that it would cause more scar tissue. I decided I would go home and try to heal it on my own yet again.
Also in January, I had my routine physical. I mentioned to my General Practitioner at my physical appointment that there was a sore on my tongue. She called it an ulcer, told me to rinse with salt-water and eat soft foods. Once she called it an ulcer, it occurred to me, the only other time I had heard that word 'ulcer' was related to the stomach. I figured that since my husband and I had been trying to change our diet--eat better, more berries, tomato sauce instead of cream sauce, etc.--that maybe the sore on the tongue was caused by the food I had been eating. Maybe it was our new high acidic diet. After all, I had been suffering daily from heartburn.
On February 17th, I went to Toronto for our President's Day Long Weekend. Prior to leaving that Thursday night, I went to see the walk-in doctor because my ear was hurting. I wanted to make sure I did not have an ear infection before leaving on a place. I mentioned to the walk-in doctor that I had a sore on my tongue and that I felt pain going down the side of my throat and up to the base of my ear. She said it was nothing, and prescribed me a nasal spray for while I was flying and in Toronto just in case. During my stay, I went to the movies and ate a lot of popcorn, drank wine with the family at dinner, coffee every morning and sometimes throughout the day as well, and pretty much just ate anything I wanted to. The night before flying home, my mouth was killing me. I thought I had over done it and told myself when I got home, I would eat only dairy and liquid-form foods to get rid of the bite/sore/ulcer that was lingering on my tongue once-and-for-all.
On Friday February 25th, I went back to see my dentist. Someone dear to me had brought it to my attention that quite possibly it could be cancer. If a sore doesn't heal it is not a good sign. Which later my GP had also mentioned to me. I was really upset when I heard those words and didn't want to believe it could be true. Nevertheless, it was those words that caused me to make the appointment with my dentist. Within a few minutes of my dentist visit, I was being told to go see the Oral Surgeon again. "Can you be there by 1:20?" This was not a good sign. I had an appointment with the dentist at 12:00 noon.
I went to see the oral surgeon and he agreed that the sore had seemed worse and if I wanted it biopsied I could have it done right then and there. I was by myself, I had no idea what was to be expected but with a quick call to my husband, we had both agreed it was time for the biopsy to be done. They took 3 pieces off the back left-side of my tongue. Unfortunately, I had my eyes open and saw all 3 pieces being removed. (I never have my eyes open!) They were more or less the size of a pea. "Where did they take them from? How much of my tongue was left in there?!" I had to admit it was not the easiest thing to do and on my own. It was not that no one was around to go with me, I just had no idea I would be having 'surgery' that afternoon! I obviously couldn't help but cry and felt like a big baby. I felt sorry for myself. I was scared about what the results would say. I was feeling alone.
I drove myself home and crawled into bed. Within the hour or two, my face started to throb. I put an ice-pack on my face and took 2 Ibuprofen. I told myself "just breathe, in, out, in, out, this is going to pass" and it did! I didn't even have the prescription filled for the Tylenol Codeine or Vicodin. Everything would be okay soon enough!
So we've made a full circle. On March 1st, while at work, I got the call from my oral surgeon that the pathology test came back positive for cancer.
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