does anyone know what salivary leak post neck dissection entails? is it the same as salivary fistula? what are repair options?

Hopefully someone else will be able to help you. Welcome to OCF!

My husband had a node leak- not salivary leak- they had to reopen the site to cauterize the flow. Although his was only about 10 days post op. Best of luck to you all.

It would be helpful if you are more specific as to what your dad is experiencing. Perhaps it is what I have.

I have a fairly rare side effect since my neck dissection called "gustatory sweating". Sometimes when I eat, I get a small amount of sweat forming on my neck. This is caused by nerves cut and regenerating after the surgery which originally went to salivary glands now going to sweat glands.

I had fistula which started a few days after my surgery and lasted for a few more weeks, even after being discharged from two weeks in the hospital. My fistula was cured by applying an ointment (which I can't remember now, but will let you know tomorrow, after I check my files at home) everyday, and covering the wound with a gauze.

I haven't heard, tho, about salivary leak. As with Jerry, can you describe exactly this 'leak' that your dad is having.

Welcome to OCF.

Jojo

ok...here is what i know...mom called and said she needed me to talk w/ dad b/c he won't listen to her...he tends to shut down and shut out people even before cancer diagnosis...mom feels dad will sometimes listen to me when he gets like this...so he has 6 radiations and one more chemo left...the past 7 or 8 days have been really bad and i'm speculating that the straw that broke camel's back is the numerous sores inside mouth, lost of taste...in addition to constipation, diarrahea, extreme tiredness, etc...yes, ya'll know more than me...he is not a complainer so thats what i've pulled out of him so far...he was doing good amnaging his side effect and was told all of these that might to be expected...but he kinda hung his hat on that day 3-5 after chemo was the worst then gets a little more manageable for just a couple days before it starts again...WELL NOW...the 'bad' days r getting longer and 'not as bad days' shorter...actually mom says it's cummlative and pretty much he hasn't had any 'break periods' ...OMG....I FEEL SOOO BAD FOR HIM...MOM SAID SHE FOUND HIM LAYING ON THE BATHROOM FRIDAY W/ TOWELSUNDER HIM B/C HE WAS TOO SICK TO MOVE....shortly after that he told mom he wasn't go back to treatments....that the doc's always do more than hethinks he needs...he says it's "overkill" and he's not going back...she calls me and he tells me he feels wonderful and everything is fine...mom is in the background saying...'tina, he lying..he feels worse than ever.....anyways...last convo he says he is going to talk to doc tommorow...BUT MOM THINKS HE MAY BE TELLING US WHAT WE WANT TO HERE TO GET US OFF HIS BACK...........MOM WANTS ME TO MAYBE JUST SHOW UP AT DOC AND BE THERE W/ HIM TOMMOROW SO I GOT A SITTER FOR MY 2 YR OLD TWINS......KEEP IN MIND...DAD DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO COME "WASTE" THEIR TIME TO VISIT HIM DURING RX....FINALLY TO MY QUESTIONS........ISN'T THERE SOMETHING THE DOCS SUGGEST FOR SIDE EFFECTS...DOES ANYONE KNOW OF SOME MEDICAL SHAKE I HEARD OF A WHILE BACK THAT HELPS NUMB THE MOUTH AND THROAT TO EAT/DRINK??? OR IS THEIR NOT MUCH TO DO ONCE THE SORES R THERE??? WHAT IS THE SMOOTHEST WAY TO INTERVENE AND HELP???? I MEAN I CAN'T REALLY BLAME HIM FOR FEELING THIS WAY??? IS THIS AN EMERGENCY OR DO PEOPLE DO THIS OFTEN??? IS MISSING THE LAST WEEK A MAKE A BRAKE OF RE-OCCURING OR NOT??? I KNOW IT'S BEST TO DISCUSS W/ DOCS BUT I WANT YA'LLS OPINION TOOO....DAD WON'T ASK DOC AND IF HE DOES HE MAY NOT TELL US WHAT THEY SAID...

The answer is fairly simple. The last week is a BITCH AND A HALF and he needs to finish. He also needs to speak up regarding his medications. Magic Mouthwash is a topical solution that will numb the inside of his mouth. The doctors can provide morphine, fentanol, oxycodone and a list of other pain medications to help him finish.

Getting this far and stopping is foolish. There are three women on this site right now at his stage, hating every minute of it and powering through so you can bang on his male pride and tell him the ladies have more testosterone then he does.

Go ahead and visit the doctor with him and find out what the can do to make him more comfortable, but make sure he finishes his treatment.

Kelly

what a mess...but then that's what brings us caregivers/family members and patients here. The folks on here need to know more about the actual problem....and we need to know what your dad has had done. I'm reading this and getting that he had a neck dissection? followed by rad and chemo? Take a minute and if you know...do your signature line on profile so that folks have the basic info of what your dad's diagnosis was, and what treatment he had and is having.
Second, if I had a nickle for every time my husband stubborned up on me I'd be a rich woman. He had a chyle leak after his neck dissection. It was fixed (sort of) by a second surgery. He has declined treatment ever since and is not doing well. I'm stubborn as well and we've done the push,pull, drag thing and got a few answers but not enough. This disease is a monster. No doubt about it. You will probably hear from Cookey on here but to get real answers folks need to know more.
I'm a big advocate of showing up when my folks either wouldn't understand or tell what was going on. Luckily, they knew i'd do that and accepted it. How old is your dad?
We're all here for you...just need some more info.

Kelly
by the time my husband reached the last week firstly his mouth was like nothing i have ever seen in my time as a nurse and secondly we had a pharmacy in our kitchen.

Although this treatment is brutal,it is also manageable,and all these problems should have been redressed throughout the treatment.

I went to every treatment and every doctors appointment with Robin,and every time he attempted to say "i am fine" i just crashed straight in with "OH NO YOU ARE NOT"

I monitered him at home and as soon as a problem arose like burnt skin,thrush,nausea,refusing to take feeds,not drinking enough fluids,pain,insomnia,i would wait until he had gone in for his treatment and then go straight to the nurse,nutritionist ,doctor,and tell them what was happening.He saw the Doctor perhaps three times a week after his rads because i had ratted on him.

He was a monumental pain for discharging himself from the hospital,refusing meds that made him feel sick or strange,but i was a bully and believe me i needed to be.

At the worst point of treatment he was on,

Mucodyne-topical anaesthetic mouth wash
Nystatin-thrush treatment
Aqueus cream-for burns to skin
Amitryptilline at night -for nerve ending pain
Fentanyl patch started at 50 mcg increasing to 150mcg for pain
Oramorph liquid morphine -for breakthrough pain
Omeprazole-for ulcer caused by medication
Diclofenic-anti inflammatory pain killer
soluble paracetamol- to gargle for mouth pain
Cyclazine -for nausea
Tube feeds every 4 hours,and he didn't even get chemo and thats a whole different ball game.

Brutal as this treatment is,constant vigilace and pushing and nagging doctors,nurses,nutrionists,radiographers is vital so that all available help is given,and as many people here can tell you sometimes all it needs is emergency rehydration to counter balance vomiting,and inability to take fluids by mouth,it can make a world of difference.

Stopping treatment is not an option if he wants to beat this thing ,and someone needs to be brave enough to tell him straight .

For the vast majority of us undergoing concurrent chemo/rad, the 2 to 3 weeks prior to the end of Tx and especially the couple of weeks POST Tx are by far the worse so even if you can get him thru his Tx DON'T you think that he is out of the woods. Obviously you need to get him to finish Tx and then prepare him for possibly the worse yet.

Calories and hydration are extremely important now. I don't remember whether or not he has a PEG but if not you really need to consider a nasal tube.

I would be more than willing to talk to him to see if I could help.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.....I KNOW I NEED TO PROVIDE MORE INFO....I'M RUSHING OUT THE DOOR TO PICK UP MANY ITEMS I'VE DISCOVERED VIA HERE.....I'LL BE BACK SOON TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS....GOTTA RUN
PS...HE WILL NOT CONSIDER THE PEG