Lately, I started to feel some kind of nerve pain in my right hip and leg. I asked my doctor if I need to have a X-ray or bone scan to make sure whether or not this is the met. to the bone.

He thought this probably caused by my posture. He said that since I had left side neck dissection, due to the tightness of left neck, I tend to lean to the left, this will apply more pressure to the muscle at the right side. I am wondering if any of you who had the neck dissection ever experienced this problem.

Yes, and that is probably a great explanation. My left hip hurts off and on, but I deduced it is not bone cancer because sometimes it doesn't hurt at all. My personal observation is that without drugs, once bones hurt, they don't stop. I had right neck, and left hip hurts. I am very active and this pain follows no pattern I can discern, but I will pay more attention to posture and see if that helps. I am so glad you posted, because I have been sort of looking for a reason, but not worried enough to go to the doc. I love this place!
Joanna

Okay, since we are being honest about our anxieties, I will also mention that sometimes Dave, who had a right neck dissection, has lower back pain which totally flips me out and has me mentally sending him for a bone scan every time he mentions the pain. The rational side of me is calm enough to notice that he has alot less padding over his coccyx area than he used to and gaining ten more pounds might be helpful.

Here's the part two to my question-has anyone who had had radiation hit sort of a "weight plateau" post treatment within the first year? Dave was eating like a horse a few months ago but that seems to have levelled off and now he's maintaining weight but is still very slim but swears he'll kill me if I come near him with anything that even remotely resembles a supplement. Not to mention that the mere smell of vanilla brings back tube feeding flashbacks...

Kim

Kim/Dave

That is my story exactly. I'm stuck at 155! I started at about 175 (give or take a few) and dropped to 138 at the end of radiation (no PEG). That was the end of December. I'm not too worried since I am eating well and feeling great. Like Dave, I refuse to drink a boost. I attribute my leveling off to a more healthy diet and, additionally, I should hit the gym since I had to loose muscle mass to hit 138. I have started to get tired of eating foods just to gain weight (I have started passing on doughnuts, a nutritional staple in my profession). That is about it, I don't know if it helps but he is not alone and I otherwise feel great.

Glenn

Passing on doughnuts??? No Krispy Kreme in my state, but found a store while on vacation and tasted first one -- okay, first six. Just as well they are not here. I am the crazy woman who gained weight on purpose knowing I would lose a lot, and I did, and ended up where I began BC, and have not gained any in a year. I am eating well and feeling great and would not even consider a supplement. In fact, I had 13 unopened cases that I carted to a local nursing home that was as happy to take them off my hands as I was to see the end of them. Yuck! Too thin is obviously bad, but in this age of obesity, if one has energy and feels good, I wouldn't worry.
Joanna

Yep, I'm another one what worries about the odd ache and pain in the different place. This one's back pain, expecially when I stretch a certain way, or sit a certain way even pressure causes it. Asked the doc on my last checkup last week, he reminded my that I'm in my late 40's and don't have a whole heck of a lot of upper body muscles, and possibly wrestling that 5 gallon water jug to the top of the water cooler without any help may not be the smartest thing to do. Then my wife pipes up and tells the Doc I'm also lugging a 10 pound briefcase up 3 floors of stairs to my office every day. He just shakes his head and sighs.

Also on the weight plateu, stuck at 130. Unfortutately out of Ensure, it's not sold here in this part of China, have to get it in Hong Kong, raid the variuos Watson's drug stores and haul it back over. But I've become somwhat of an Ensure addict, like having a glass with my morning coffee. Vanilla, chill it REAL cold, goes down good on a hot morning.

The other thing you might be experiencing WZ is that wierd pain/tingle some of us get post radiation that shows up when you move your head a certain way. Dont' remember the name for it but we've discussed (and cussed) it here before.
Bob

Hi Bob! Glad to hear from you and that you are doing well, if overdoing. To update the weird tingle, one year out from radiation, mine is gone. Completely. So for anyone out there bothered by this, know that it is NOT permanent.
Joanna

Pain in the hip/butt/leg can be a number of things, but one of the most common causes is the sciatic nerve being pinched. A strong lower back and abdominal muscles can help.
As always, get Doc's advice before working on them.
One of groups of excercises that I do for that area is a Nautilus lumbar machine workout for the lower back, alternating with Nautilus crunch machine for the stomach muscles.
You can also do "good mornings" and "butterflys"
for the low back, and crunches for the stomach without any weights or health club. Your doctor should have a leaflet describing those excercises.

I have also stepped up the neck machine excercises to build up where the ENT gutted me.
I work all four sides of my neck, and do shrugs
(holding a bar at waist level and pull up, trying to make my shoulders touch my ears.)
I have no more tingling from my neck, and I'm getting alot of feeling and facial movement back.
O-O

Hi Joanna, Trying not to overdo it too much, golf is still out until end of August I estimate, Kart racing for another few weeks, the side g-forces on the neck would be atrocious.

The tingling had actually pretty much stopped just a couple of weeks before the second surgery, then about midway through the radiation and Chemo, back again. ARGHH. So, yep it does go away.
Bob