had a biopsy Wednesday 130.pm by 6pm I was back in as my stitches burst and tongue was bleeding.they 're burnt the tongue and 're stitched it I can hardly swallow drink I talk with a lisp on constant pain killers.today I noticed my stitches have come open again in not going through all that pain again so I guess im leaving the hole to heal without stitches I have a video to show people if they want to see what I mean by stitches opening.

I read this forum the same day I had my biopsies (one on the right cheek and one on the end of the tongue), wow did I underestimate how painful this would be. I ended up having to get some over the counter anaesthetic just so I could eat a slice of bread or drink some water to take painkillers on the first day.

It is now 5 days since I had the procedure done and I am able to talk again but drinking and eating are still difficult (but better) and wanted to share my experience with people looking on this forum:

Waking up I would put some anaesthetic on my tongue to be able to eat a slice of bread and drink some water with painkillers, I would wait for around 30mins before they kicked in to eat something (bread, mash or very soft cold food) and repeated this with every meal. The first day it was recommended to me not to brush my teeth or to do a salt rinse.

From the second day, I was a bit more prepared and had a routine. I added a salt rinse after every meal to lessen the pain. If I used the anaesthetic at night I was able to brush my teeth very carefully.

Now on the fifth day, I am still eating soft foods but it does not hurt as much and I am only taking painkillers when required and continuing with salt rinses.

I empathise with anyone going through this procedure but it is manageable, I hope what I wrote helps someone who has recently had this done or is expecting to have this done soon.

I read this forum the same day I had my biopsies (one on the right cheek and one on the end of the tongue), wow did I underestimate how painful this would be. I ended up having to get some over the counter anaesthetic just so I could eat a slice of bread or drink some water to take painkillers on the first day.

It is now 5 days since I had the procedure done and I am able to talk again but drinking and eating are still difficult (but better) and wanted to share my experience with people looking on this forum:

Waking up I would put some anaesthetic on my tongue to be able to eat a slice of bread and drink some water with painkillers, I would wait for around 30mins before they kicked in to eat something (bread, mash or very soft cold food) and repeated this with every meal. The first day it was recommended to me not to brush my teeth or to do a salt rinse.

From the second day, I was a bit more prepared and had a routine. I added a salt rinse after every meal to lessen the pain. If I used the anaesthetic at night I was able to brush my teeth very carefully.

Now on the fifth day, I am still eating soft foods but it does not hurt as much and I am only taking painkillers when required and continuing with salt rinses.

I empathise with anyone going through this procedure but it is manageable, I hope what I wrote helps someone who has recently had this done or is expecting to have this done soon.

Hi all, I'm two days after partial glossectomy and like you all, am floored by the pain. I had about 20 stitches in total but within a few hours my tongue started swelling and some of the stitches burst. My tongue got so big I couldn't breathe through my mouth or even swallow. The physio helped me to drink with a straw that reached to the very back of my mouth. 

I try to drink watered down smoothies and weetabix so I can take painkillers but it's just not worth it. My tongue starts to swell from any aggravation. So I'm prioritising drinking water and brushing my teeth. 

When I had the procedure I asked for a cert for work and was told I'd be ok to return to work the following day. To be honest I felt like I was operated on, wheeled back to my hospital bed and within 20 minutes I was told to contact the person who was collecting me. I managed to ask about cert but nothing else. I was still shaking from adrenaline and left when they told me. Within hours I was back in A&E.

So my takeaways:

Don't underestimate how painful it is and how long recovery will take. You won't be able to talk or eat.

Keep your mouth as clean as possible.

Even if you can't eat, drink LOTS of water to prevent dehydration. 

Ensure you get adequate post-OP care and instructions. Don't let them rush you out simply because it's nearly time for them to go home.