She Thought Her Mouth Sores Were Just Ulcers. Now She's Having Her Tongue Removed
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Olivia Donnelly, 25, was initially misdiagnosed with an immune system disorder after developing painful tongue ulcers, but was later diagnosed with tongue cancer following the discovery of a hard lump on her tongue.
- She will undergo surgery to remove 40% of her tongue, which will be reconstructed using a skin graft from her wrist, and lymph nodes will be removed due to concerns about cancer spread, potentially requiring radiation treatment.
- Donnelly is documenting her recovery journey on TikTok to raise awareness about tongue cancer, a rare but increasingly diagnosed disease, with cases rising by 2.1% annually despite its low overall incidence.
- Doctors have ruled out vaping as a cause of her cancer, attributing it to bad luck, and Donnelly faces a six-month recovery period during which she must relearn to speak and eat.
- She and her fiancé have recently moved into their first home, and the diagnosis has temporarily put their life plans on hold as she focuses on treatment and recovery.
