My sister is now over her Neck Dissection Operation. It was a very long day for her on Monday. The two glands that they were concerned about did turn out to be malignant but surgeons said that they came clean away. They did take more glands around the area and also the muscle from her neck and she will have Radiation in January. She is in good form now and none of the dreaded 'could have beens' happened. The nerves to her lip, tongue and shoulder were not affected. She will have permanent numb neck but docs have told her that she will get used to that. She was up and about the day after her operation on Tuesday and ate three meals and yesterday she went for a walk around the hospital. The drains will come out of her neck today and there is a chance that she may be coming home at the weekend. Doctors are confident that a bout of radiation will cover up any 'mopping up' that has to be done. She asked me yesterday if I could wash her hair at the weekend (she has shoulder length hair) so if anyone out there has any tips on how I can do this without getting any water into the wound I would be grateful.
Again thanks so much to you all for your support and heres looking at a cancer free life for her after radiation.

Norma

Norma, glad to hear that the neck dissection went well.

When my husband had his neck dissection wound, as well as a PICC line and fresh PEG tube insertion, we used alot of plastic wrap. I would just wind several wraps of plastic around the areas that we didn't want to get wet, then secure it with tape. Seemed to work.

Anita

Norma,

When I was in the hospital, a nursing student washed my hair with baby shampoo. She wet it with a wash cloth, and I held a towel around my neck and under my chin really snugly. It took a while to rinse but it was such a relief to feel clean, I could have cried. It was wonderful, and I hope that student nurse applies for a job at the hospital I work at when she graduates this May. I will give her a glowing recommendation!

Sincerely,
Lisa

Norma, I also have shoulder length hair and my two sisters in law took turns to wash my hair when I was in the hospital during radiation treatment with my neck seriously bruised. Use baby shampoo as suggested in the previous post. I didn't have plastic wrap (maybe a good idea to have it) but I had two towels around my neck and chest to make sure the water didn't get to my neck. It was not that difficult as you imagine even when I had the IV tube on my left arm. I sat on a stool at the washroom bowing my head down the washbasin. One important thing to remember is the action has to be quick and the hair has to be dried thoroughly with a dry towel before leaving the washroom. Use a hair dryer with a low heat afterwards.
I felt so happy when I could wash my own hair a few weeks later!

Karen stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/01.

Thanks for all the advice on washing hair after op. Actually when I went back up to the hospital the doctors were after allowing Sinead to have a shower and wash her hair so she was feeling a whole lot better. She will be coming home from hospital on Monday and then she will meet radiologist on Tuesday to plan her radiotherapy. They have put her on Iron tablets because her iron level was low after the operation. We are so glad that she will be home and up and about for Christmas.

Norma