My tumor was on the right side of my jaw. It has been four months since my surgery. I thought everything would be much better but recently it feels like I have an infection achy pressure and swelling on the right side of my face and jaw...I have talked to my nurse and we decided to wait till after massage theropy to see if it helped. Could the damp weather have anything to do with this. It has seemed to get worse in the last few days more on the left side. I am wondering if I got water in my ear or something. Anyway I wondering if anyone else has experience these issues...As usual I am counting and trusting on my friends here cause I am needing a little support and guidance.

Dianne,
I had fluid build up in my ears for quite a long time post Tx. It even showed up in the MRI's. It's probably just an infection but if it were me, I would make an appointment with the ENT and get it sorted out.

Thanks Gary and yes I know you folks aren't doctors but doctors aren't patients either and may have done the work but not experienced what patients have felt. I just feel so silly called my nurse and we talked about it already but it is worse than when I called her so not sure if warrants a call or not...I want to be strong and don't wanna run to them every time something seems off. My massage starts Jan 12...it's just painful but feels more like pressure. I was looking for info and probably a push cause I don't want to look like a hypocondriac I really do hate to bother the doctors for frivolous stuff (HOwever never had my neck disected and a tumer removed either so no idea as to what to expect)....I know peace of mind vs worry. I wish I could trust my family doctor with this rather than travelling 2 hrs to see a doctor but he doesn't think I even need pain killers still...that's another reason I need to believe it is worth the travel...I know sounds silly but it just is....plus being the holiday times they are probably closed...

Umm, possible cancer isn't exactly frivolous! I wouldn't wait until the middle of January.

I was just wondering if it is something to expect with the type of surgery...I also was reminded not long ago I have had no physio for two weeks now...she was moving things around pretty good...I see her tuesday...I will talk to my nurse to see I just have to find a way to relieve the pressure like an overinflated tire...but it really isn't swollen that much infact it is down.

Thanks for the attitude adjustment Pete I really need it. I have just never really had much confidence or luck with doctors they all have made me feel like I am inconveniencing them which makes me uncomfortable plus being an over anxious person to begin with they tend not to listen to me...except my cancer doctor I am sure it is me and my learned behaviour not him. It has been a routine for me I go to see them and they tell me it is nothing...or it is all in my head...for the record I know this is in my head lol...

In any case you are, entitled to pain relief or a solution such as anti-inflammatory steroids (like prednisone) or antibiotics. They treated me for the ear pain/pressure. If the pain/pressure is in the ear, it can rupture the eardrum.

Dianne,

If the pressure turns into "pain", you should tell your docs to put you on antibiotics. Tissue damage caused by infections will delay the healing process. Antibiotics are the ONLY thing that help my husband with his chronic flare ups. He has had six since since his surgery in May 2008. Pain meds don't even help him once the swelling starts. Each time it starts, we know it is another abscess forming. Also, take your temperature. Chris's doc (or nurse) will always ask that question when we call in for more antibiotics, and yes... Chris has been thru so much that we now call our doctors and tell them what he needs.

Yesterday was the worst of the days. The pressure was painful and the swelling was tight. That is why I wrote...The swelling has gone down a lot and ear pain has lessened a hole bunch to being non existant. For me it was I would have a problem say a tooth ache, I would call the dentist, make an appointment and when I would go for the appointment it would dissappear. Yesterday I was worried today not so bad as it seems to be back to "normal" I just don't understand why my face will do this duh I know surgery but more of an answer. I have no fever that I am aware of. This is scary stuff and how does one know what is life threatening or just healing process? My nurse practicioner told me if the earache becomes constant and have a constant head ache and an overall feeling of unwell... I think I would pay a kings ransom to be clarvoyant right now, such a sneaky disease...

Dianne, I hear ya lady ... My surgery was one month before yours exactly and I still get weird things here and there and your mind wonders and wanders. While I remain positive for the overall, there are moments that the mind says UHOH! ,..

but like you say, what I feel never lasts ... it is a short lived thing and then it is over so it does not seem like it is to worry about. I still get a bit of swelling, very little and for like a bit of a day then it is gone ... but it makes it feel tight and kinda sore at the surgery area ... i am already on prednisone for my arthritis so a dose of it usually fixes it quickly and not a big deal ... then i get like a 5 minute ear ache but it leaves and i dont feel it again for days and days ... and i have a constant stuffy ear which others who have had this surgery said they got too and I get numby feeling around the area like the surgery whacked out some nerves ,... but overall i am feeling stronger and with more energy all of the time so i think this is a good sign

i wish you the very best my dear ... i think we get less apprehensive as we go ... i hope

one thing i find weird ... prior to my diagnosis, the previous year i had 3 broken ear drums on that side only. possibly more, but the doctor found it 3 different times ... the doctor found it weird but did not investigate further just kept shaking her head ... i had no pain from it or anything - i never even knew it was broken until she would find it doing routine checkup at my visits ... now, post surgery that ear feels stuffy but it has not broken the eardrum lol ...

I really hope you are right about the aprehensiveness...Gosh I feel so much like I am on unchartered waters yet I know there are those who have travelled them before. Still we forge ahead day by day hoping that it was nothing or we didn't miss a turn. Today is much better and I think I do over react for the most part but when it comes to cancer I can there be an over reaction? It's just I can't believe how crappy I felt yesterday...now today with a bit of getting out and moving around things seem to be less still a small pressure but not real noticable only when I concentrate on it can I feel it...So it is like that old saying if a tree falls in the woods does it make a noise. If I have to concentrate on a pain or a pressure to feel it is it really there...hmmm I wonder...so for today I will just continue on and the best I can do is monitor write down and ask when I talk to a professional.

My ENT told me "YOU are the expert on you!"

That is a great great relationship...I keep teasing my doctor I am two weeks shy of graduating and being a doctor..He just laughs we are really not that close...

But yours is a good relationship...

The human body is wierd indeed. Amazing machine all on it's own. I guess issues for me always happen on a weekend or holiday. I must have been having a really bad day the other day for the pain to be as bad as it was. Today seems a lot better still my ear is not painful but it grabs my attention once in a while when my mind is idle...lol...I am still not ruling out an infection though...so I will contact my nurse and check things out if I still have this after my physio tomorrow...Thanks everyone for your support...but infection or fluid from the removed nodes sounds like pretty reasonable answers...but only the doctor would know that

It's hard not to over react when it's your own body- especially when, in the early post Tx, we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop. I started noticing parts of my anatomy, like the salivary glands alongside the cheeks and thought they were a new tumor. My H&N surgeon and I had a good laugh over that one (after the fact of course).

I had to take prednisone only a few months ago for a fluid buildup that just wouldn't go away. ENT's can easily see this with a simple otoscope exam. Sometime the swelling jams up the eustacian tubes and an anti-inflammatory, like prednisone, is the ticket to reduce the swelling so they can start draining normally again. Antibiotics don't work in these cases.

If your eardrum does rupture you will know it. First, the pain will stop abruptly and your ear will drain blood and pus for a while. You want to avoid this as ruptured eardrums will decrease your mid range hearing sensitivity. This is good enough reason to get a faster appointment with your ENT.