Woman’s Tongue Cancer Was Missed for Months—Now She’s Sharing Her Story After 30 Rounds of Radiation

Five years after her shocking cancer diagnosis, Jamie Powell is still navigating the long-term effects of treatment—and using her voice to make sure others recognize the signs that doctors missed in her case.

The 41-year-old mother of two from Coto de Caza, California, was diagnosed with tongue cancer in early 2020 despite having no known risk factors. Her journey began with a seemingly minor symptom—a small bump on her tongue—and ended with invasive surgery, 30 rounds of radiation, and lasting damage to her speech and eating ability.

@jamieraepowell

June 16 2020 5 years ago I was battling through the hardest treatment. Head and neck radiation just about broke me. #headandneckcancer #radiation #tonguecancer #journalentry #cancersurvivor #oralcancer

♬ original sound – Jamie

“I thought I had just bitten my tongue in my sleep,” Powell tells PEOPLE. “It didn’t hurt. It just felt strange.”

But as the weeks went by and the bump didn’t heal, Powell became more concerned. Her dentist dismissed it. By January 2020, after months of worry, she went to urgent care and was eventually referred to an ENT. A biopsy revealed cancer.

“A week later, someone just called and said, ‘You have cancer,’” she recalls. “It was like the ground fell out from under me.”

Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood

For months, doctors overlooked Powell’s concerns, telling her she didn’t fit the typical profile—she didn’t smoke or drink heavily, and she was young. She believes that delay allowed the tumor to grow unchecked.

On March 23, 2020, Powell underwent a glossectomy, where part of her tongue was removed and reconstructed using tissue from her thigh. Surgeons also performed a neck dissection to remove lymph nodes on the left side of her neck. The procedures left her unable to speak or eat, relying on an iPad to communicate and a feeding tube to stay nourished.

30 Rounds of Brutal Radiation

Just weeks later, Powell began radiation therapy—a process she describes as the “most traumatic experience” of her life.

To keep her head still during treatment, a mesh mask was molded to her face and bolted to the table. “The burning, the blisters in your mouth, the way food and water suddenly taste like sewage—it’s indescribable,” she says.

The radiation left her with permanent side effects. Her taste never fully returned. Her jaw locks up every night and must be pried open each morning. She lost all her salivary glands. To eat, she must sip water between each bite. To speak, she must slow down and over-enunciate.

“Don’t invite me to dinner,” she jokes. “I have to pick—talking or eating. I can’t do both.”

A Mother’s Voice, Changed But Not Silenced

One of the hardest parts, Powell says, was losing the ability to clearly communicate with her children.

“When the surgeon said my voice would be different, I immediately thought, ‘How will I sing to my kids? How will I tell them I love them?’” she says. Her voice is still muffled, and some sounds remain difficult.

Yet Powell never stopped speaking out. What began as journaling and video diaries during recovery became a full podcast, Young Tongues, where she documents her experience and connects with others who feel overlooked or misunderstood in their own cancer battles.

“I didn’t want anyone to feel as alone as I did,” she says. “I wanted to show the raw truth—that it’s okay to feel lost, to grieve who you were before.”

@jamieraepowell

Reply to @shannahsosweet #greenscreen #tonguecancer #oralcancer #squamouscellcarcinoma #oralcancerawareness #gogetchecked #oralcare #knowthesigns

♬ original sound – Jamie

Raising Awareness for Early Detection

Now cancer-free, Powell is focused on educating others. Her story is a stark reminder that cancer doesn’t always follow the rules—especially when it comes to oral cancers, which are often diagnosed late.

“Doctors told me not to worry. But I knew something was wrong,” she says. “If I had listened to them, I might not be here.”

She encourages others to trust their instincts and push for answers if symptoms persist, even when doctors downplay them.

“Cancer took my voice, my taste, my normal life—but it didn’t take my purpose,” Powell says. “If I can help even one person catch it earlier than I did, it’s worth every word I struggle to say.”Doctors Dismissed Woman’s Concerning Symptom for Months. Then She Went Through 30 Rounds of Radiation