. I was 42, decades younger than most who get the same diagnosis, with no family history of the disease.
To be considered in remission, I had to make it five years cancer-free. In 2011, during routine dental work, my oral surgeon noticed a suspicious patch resembling a burn mark on the back of my throat. He sent me to a different otolaryngologist who confirmed my cancer had returned, and this time it was on the left side of my tongue. The burn mark turned out to be radiation burn, but the otolaryngologist discovered the recurrent cancer during the examination.
I had a feeding tube and port surgically placed to get me through the upcoming chemotherapy and another seven-week course of radiation therapy. My chemotherapy days were grueling. I started at 7 a.m. and finished at 7 p.m., leaving the infusion center to run to the floor below for radiation treatment. On April 16, 2013, I proudly rang the bell signaling my last chemo treatment.
Eating was a huge hurdle for me. After my second tongue surgery, all of my nutrition came from the feeding tube. On the one hand, it was great to juice or blend a variety of nutritious food and just shoot it right in my tube, but I was mourning the act of eating food. I was doing really well until 2016 when I noticed some of my teeth felt loose. I went to my dentist, who suggested I go back to my otolaryngologist. He consulted with a maxillofacial surgeon who determined that due to my past radiation treatment, my lower left jaw bone became necrotic. It had to be removed and replaced with the fibula from my right leg. That surgery resulted in my disability becoming more visible, and it caused my self-esteem to take a nosedive.
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