This is my first post on this forum so Hello.

I'll try to keep the background brief. My MIL has tongue cancer - she is a non smoker and non drinker and we suspect she got it from her workplace. She is 68 years old.

She had her first op on 28th December to remove the tumours in her neck and 1/3 of her tongue removed and reconstruct with a flap from the veins in her left arm. This failed after 5 days. She has now had 4 operations, used both the right and left arm veins and all have failed. Her blood keeps clotting and they don't know the reason why.

Tomorrow she has her 5th operation to sew down whats left of her tongue into the base of her mouth to fill the gap and also to insert a PEG tube. This will leave her without speech and nil by mouth.

She starts 20 sessions of radiotherapy on 28th January.

Can anyone advise what sort of quality of life she will have with PEG tube and no speech? Also any ideas why the reconstructive work kept failing because of blood clots?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer. We thought we were fighting cancer but now all these extras have been added into the equation.

Hello CLJ I'm so sorry to hear what your MIL is going through, especially having to have so many ops in such a short time. You are so right in thinking it was cancer you were dealing with and not all these extras. Unfortunatly we have all had to come to terms with a massive shock to the system in coping with all the other 'stuff' that accompanies mouth cancer. The good news is YOU WILL COPE!

The peg tube is a 'life-line' after the body has taken such a battering. MIL will get all the right foods etc to heal/fight infection/build up immune system at the same time as allowing the mouth area to heal. It does take a bit of getting used, it will be sore at first and feeding can be a messy job until you get the hang of it. The nurses are there to help so keep on asking questions

It will be difficult trying to communicate with both arms out of action and (I assume) a trachy fitted Maybe she has some mobility in her hands - it's amazing how far you can communicate with a few gestures!!

Lots of us have been through a similar ordeal as MIL and we have come through the other end. Just take things slowly, be patient - each day is a day nearer to getting home and, most of all, keep a sense of humour!

The Speech Therapist started work on me a week or so after my op (once the trachy was out), teaching me how to sip water, then swallow something smooth, like yogurt, plus learning to speak again. A Speech Therapist visited me at home for a few months.

I don't know anything about the blood clotting but I do hope the doctors can get this under control and her next operation goes smoothly so MIL can get on with getting better.

Keep asking questions as there's lots of help on here from a wealth of generous people who have 'been there before'.

I have just started my radiotherapy and know I can rely on the folks on here for any help and advice re side-effects etc.

Let us know how MIL progresses. All good wishes to you both.

Brenda