Theresa’s Cancer Journey
Discover Theresa’s inspiring journey through tongue cancer treatment and recovery, and how she regained her strength, optimism, and zest for life!
30 Stories in 30 Days™ // April 2023
In 2014, I got my first biopsy after observing sores on my tongue, which came back negative for cancer. However, the tip of my tongue kept bothering me, and I knew that something wasn’t right. I asked my friend, who was a doctor, to take a look. She immediately sent me upstairs to see the oral surgeon in her building. The oral surgeon told me to go back and see the doctor who performed my biopsy, but I felt that I needed to see someone with more expertise in head and neck cancers. My friend and some other doctors I talked to suggested an otolaryngologist based in New York City, and I decided to proceed with my treatment with him at a new hospital.
A year later, I got another biopsy at this hospital and was officially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. I underwent my first surgery about a month later, during which the surgeons removed 45% of my tongue and 42 cancerous lymph nodes. They also reconstructed my tongue fully with free flap tissue from my arm and leg, and inserted a feeding tube into my stomach so that I could get adequate nutrition while recovering from surgery.
Going through tough times during my journey has made me more resilient, and I feel ready to tackle any obstacles that come my way.
After surgery I started radiation and chemotherapy, and I was thankful to my doctor for finding a place closer to my home in New Jersey to receive treatments so that I didn’t need to commute back and forth. Chemotherapy was tolerable, but I developed radiation burns on my throat and jaw and had to treat them with burn medications.
Going through radiation was tough, but the pain was temporary and I was able to successfully treat my burns. During this time, I still had my feeding tube and was working with speech language therapists to relearn how to eat and swallow by mouth. By regularly attending therapy sessions and continuously trying to intake more food orally, I made gradual progress and no longer needed a feeding tube after a year. The support of my speech therapy team was integral, as they continuously encouraged me and made me feel like I could play an active role in my own recovery. After a couple follow-up appointments, I did not need to see the otolaryngologist and his team for a long time.
However, after about two years, I started experiencing progressively worsening tooth and gum pain, and went back to see my otolaryngologist. He recommended segmental mandibulectomy surgery with free flap repair and plate insertion, which involves removal and repair of a large portion of the jaw. We proceeded with surgery in late 2021, and the final pathology report revealed that I had osteoradionecrosis and osteomyelitis of my jaw. This meant that radiation had caused a lot of the bone in my jaw to break down and become infected.
The surgery went well and my symptoms improved greatly, but a few months later I saw that some screws used to hold my mandibular plate in place had seemed to come loose. I was a bit freaked out to see screws coming out of my jaw and called the doctor’s office, but they assured me that they would be able to take them out. I underwent surgery to get my mandibular hardware removed, but the tissue in that area never really fully healed afterward. I had to undergo another surgical repair procedure two years later, which went well. Now, I only have a bit of swelling remaining.
Whenever I felt discouraged and frustrated, I would take a look through my photos and remind myself of how far I had come.
While going through cancer treatment, I wasn’t too scared and felt confident that I would overcome this. I actually felt the most emotional right after my mandibular plate removal. Even though I only had to stay at the hospital for one day, I felt really down because I thought the complications would never end. However, I focused on taking things one day at a time and just praying that my actual cancer would not recur.
Presently, I am still experiencing some muscle tightness in my throat and mouth as a result of my most recent surgery. It takes me about an hour to eat a full sandwich, but I try to eat softer foods.
Other than this, however, I have overcome the roughest times of my cancer journey so far and spend my days doing things I enjoy with the people I love. My daughter was pregnant with her first child after I returned home from my initial glossectomy surgery, and since then I have gotten 3 new grandchildren that I love spending time with!
My husband and I used to be big travelers, and we hosted exchange students from around the world. We had to put a hold on traveling because of my cancer treatment, but just as things were starting to look up during my later surgeries, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we couldn’t travel internationally again. I had the travel bug and dreamed of getting back out to explore, but my husband and I made the most out of our situation, taking walks in the park and eating sandwiches by the river. Now that the pandemic and travel restrictions have died down, we are looking forward to planning our next travel destination!
At the end of the day, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!
For those who are experiencing their own cancer journeys, I strongly recommend documenting your treatment by taking lots of photos. My friend’s daughter had a friend who also went through tongue cancer treatment, and she suggested taking photos to better visualize your recovery. I thought that this was a great idea, and have amassed about 6,000 photos since the beginning of my journey. Whenever I felt discouraged and frustrated, I would take a look through my photos and remind myself of how far I had come.
With such vivid depictions of exactly what I went through at each stage, I felt more grateful for where I was now. This strategy helped me adopt a positive mindset and see that the hard work was worth it—and it motivated me to continue improving. Not everyone is comfortable looking at photos of themselves going through cancer treatment, which can be a bit graphic or reminiscent of painful times, but if you are able, this is a great way to document an important chapter of your life and maintain a positive outlook.
I feel very lucky to live in a time where we have such advanced medical procedures available to treat cancer. I am grateful for my treatment, and extend that gratitude towards all aspects of my life. Going through tough times during my journey has made me more resilient, and I feel ready to tackle any obstacles that come my way. I no longer place as much emphasis on meaningless things or conflicts, and I approach everything with more acceptance and thoughtfulness. At the end of the day, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!
Interested in Sharing Your Cancer Journey?
For someone recently diagnosed with cancer, reading the stories of other caregivers and survivors can inspire.
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