She Thought She Bit Her Tongue While Sleeping, But She Discovered Something That Left Her In Stun

Jamie Powell, a mother from California, went through a life-changing experience that started with something as simple as a bump on her tongue. One morning in December 2019, she woke up and noticed the bump on the back of her tongue.

At first, she thought she might have accidentally bitten her tongue while sleeping. It didn’t seem like a big deal, so she didn’t worry too much about it. She had a routine dental cleaning scheduled for early January 2020, so she decided to wait and ask her dentist about it during the appointment.

When she mentioned the bump to her dentist, he didn’t seem concerned and told her it was probably nothing to worry about. But deep down, Jamie had a feeling something wasn’t right. She trusted her instincts and decided to see a doctor for a closer look.

After some tests, Jamie received devastating news in January 2020—the bump on her tongue was cancer. She was shocked and scared, but she knew she had to fight. The first step was a surgery called a glossectomy, where doctors removed the part of her tongue affected by the cancer.

To rebuild her tongue, they took skin from her leg and used it to reconstruct the area. It was a difficult and painful process, but Jamie was determined to get through it. Later, scans showed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, so she also had to undergo a neck dissection, a surgery to remove the affected lymph nodes in her neck.

Jamie spent weeks recovering in the hospital after her surgeries. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she wasn’t allowed to have any visitors during her stay. This made an already challenging time even harder, as she had to face the physical and emotional pain alone.

During her recovery, doctors discovered that the cancer had also invaded her nervous system. This meant Jamie needed additional treatment—30 rounds of radiation targeting her head and neck. The radiation was grueling and caused severe burns inside her mouth and neck.

Jamie described it as one of the hardest things she had ever endured. She was strapped to a table in a mesh mask for 15 minutes every day, unable to move, while the radiation did its work.

Her radiologist warned her that the treatment could permanently change her voice and ability to speak, which was heartbreaking for Jamie. She worried about how this would affect her children and her ability to communicate with them.

The side effects of the radiation were brutal. Jamie’s mouth and neck were severely burned, and she struggled to eat or drink. She lost 40 pounds because she couldn’t keep food down. After the treatment, her tongue felt strange and unfamiliar, almost like it didn’t belong in her mouth.

She had to relearn how to move it and control it, which was frustrating and exhausting. The cancer and its treatment took a toll not just on her body but also on her mind.

Jamie admitted that she felt ugly and embarrassed by how she looked and sounded. Her mouth had a droop on one side because she had lost feeling there, and she struggled with the changes to her appearance and voice.

Despite all the pain and challenges, Jamie remained strong and resilient. She focused on her children and her determination to be there for them. “I’ve survived 100% of my bad days,” she said, “and I’ll keep surviving. I plan to be around for a long time to raise my boys.

Her story is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the importance of trusting your instincts when something feels wrong. Jamie’s journey was incredibly difficult, but she faced it with courage and hope, inspiring others to keep fighting no matter how tough the battle may be.