MyNDTALK - Say Yes to Life - Ilse Anderson

MyNDTALK - Say Yes to Life - Ilse Anderson

Ilse Anderson was on the cusp of her new life, traveling the world, growing as an artist, and exploring new avenues of spirituality. She was soaring into a bright, cloudless future, and then, on May 22, 2015, her doctor informed her she had stage four oral cancer. One month later, she underwent a three-quarter glossectomy and a tracheotomy. The ten-hour surgery involved cutting out most of her tongue and fashioning a new one from the tissue of her forearm. Cancerous lymph nodes were removed via an incision in her neck. She awoke from the surgery unable to swallow, speak, or move. And that was just the beginning.