Cancer Messed With The Wrong Girl

In the midst of an already devastating year, our sister/daughter/loved one Tyra was diagnosed with Stage 3 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (O.S.C.C). This oral cancer was found in her tongue.

 

The diagnosis came as a shock to the family, as Tyra does not fit the criteria for risk-factors attributed to this cancer, being a non-drinking, non-smoking, otherwise healthy 25-year-old.

 

In March 2021, Tyra noticed a small, white bump on her tongue. Thinking it was nothing more sinister than a canker sore, Tyra brushed it off as a non-issue. When the bump persisted, Tyra contacted her doctor for an appointment. Medical professionals believed this bump to be due to an annoying, but not life threatening, condition called Oral Thrush. The doctor prescribed Tyra with antibiotics and sent her on her way. This, unfortunately, was not the end of Tyra’s struggles.

 

After enduring multiple rounds of antibiotics and trips to dentists, the bump continued to grow. The bump, which started off small, was not impacting her ability to drink and eat. The bump had turned into a sore, and was extremely painful, leading Tyra to avoid talking and ingesting food and drink as much as possible. Finally, the doctor believed it time to send her for a biopsy.

 

On September 10th, 2021, after suffering 6 months of discomfort, Tyra’s tongue was biopsied. On September 21st, 2021, she received her results and on October 1st 2021 she met with an esteemed Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist at the UofA to review the devastating results: Tyra was officially diagnosed with cancer.

 

Immediately, doctors and specialists worked to develop an aggressive treatment plan. Tyra would undergo dissection of her tongue to remove a tumor 2cm in diameter. In addition to this, she would have a lymphadenectomy to remove affected lymph nodes, as well as a reconstructive surgery for her tongue.

 

The cancer diagnosis was not the only fear-inducing prospect facing Tyra. She was also hoping to undergo surgery during the pandemic. News articles and social media platforms were consistently telling tales of postponed surgeries due to urgent care needs, including postponing of cancer-treatment surgeries. As the plan for an aggressive treatment was shared with Tyra and her family, the risk of a delay loomed in the back of their minds.

 

However, Tyra was very fortunate to have a surgeon who pushed for quick and immediate treatment of her condition, and on October 28th, 2021, Tyra was admitted for what would be a 14-hr surgery to save her life. The surgery was successful, removing about half her tongue, and over 100 lymph nodes. To aid with recovery, Tyra was given a tracheotomy and a feeding tube, as she had no use of her mouth or throat.

 

On November 9th, 2021, Tyra was discharged home, but her journey was not over yet. She would later find out that she needed to undergo 30 rounds of radiation therapy to ensure the cancer was gone. She finished on February 1st, 2022 and waiting on followup with her doctors.

 

From diagnosis through treatment, Tyra has remained the strong, resilient woman we all know her to be. Her humor and ability to make all those around her laugh has never waivered, even in the face of life-altering news. Even when speaking was difficult, and even her own family had troubles understanding her words, Tyra found a way to “tell” jokes, and keep her family in good spirits.

 

She is the definition of a warrior.

 

Her fight is far from over. She will continue to need to take multiple medications, and is still unable to work due to recovery needs. Each day has its own trials and tribulations, and Tyra continues to persevere, but the need for assistance is evident. This GoFundMe has been started to help Tyra stay on top of her ongoing medical treatments, medications, and care needs until she can go back to work.

 

It is by the grace of God and the incredible care of her medical team that we have her here today. And we could not be more grateful. We love her and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!