Fran, I had the dissection pre-rad/chemo. I had very little pain, mostly because a lot of the nerves were damaged. I am very close to three years out and most of the nerves have regenerated. The scar is nothing. I wear my hair up and don't even think about it. For a several months my neck was numb, and the day it itched and I could feel when I scrathed was a red letter day. More even than post-rad, I think patience is the name of the game after the neck procedure. The swelling will quickly recede and if you have any shoulder stiffness, physical therapy will help tremendously. While no surgery is exactly a walk in the park, this one is not one of the bad ones. You will do just fine!