| Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 58 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 58 | Having pain on the floor inside my mouth and outside under my jaw on the side where the cancer was removed and during the second surgery my ENT had to reroute my salivary gland. Currently undergoing my last week of rads and I'm experiencing this pain along with referred pain in my ear. Sometimes unbearable! I'm not sure if it's just swollen or if I'm experiencing pain from atrophy? I am still able to talk but the last few weeks I lost my voice and haven't been able to talk normally due to the pain. Both the physical and referred pain does go away sometimes when I apply pressure on the outside of my jaw. Has anyone else experienced this?
Marie
Female, 37 yrs old,Non-Smoker/Social Drinker, HPV- T3 N1 M0 SCC Dx 11-10-11 11-23-11 Left Hemiglossectomy 11-30-11 Modified Radical Neck Dissection 01-25-12 Removed another spot on BOT, skin graft (left thigh) 38 RADS Tx Finished April 13, 2012 Fall 2014 - HBOT due to wisdom teeth extraction post radiation
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 | Marie, the end of treatments and first 2 weeks after are the hardest part of the whole thing. Im sorry you are in pain. The pain gets harder to manage as the treatments go on. Most of us would use the fentanyl patch to help control the pain. Its easy to use and the patches come in 12.5mg - 100mg. At my highest I was on 150mg for about 10 days. This medication you need to be careful with. Slowly increase and decrease the dosages. If you are not using it I would think you would need at least 50mg. It takes about 24 hours before you will get the full benefit of a patch so if you have it on and you dont feel relief by the next day ask the doc to increase it. There is also other meds you can take for those times when you need something extra for breakthru pain.
I lost my voice for a few weeks as did many others on here. This will be a temporary thing for you. Keep pushing the nutrition and hydration and very soon you will be finished and on your way to a full recovery.
Stick with us and we will help you thru this. ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 58 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Mar 2012 Posts: 58 | Thanks Christine. For now I'm just going to stick with the percocet which is what I've been using to manage my pain in general. Considering the pain I spoke of comes and goes I know I can manage it this way. I just wasn't sure if this was normal or not.
Female, 37 yrs old,Non-Smoker/Social Drinker, HPV- T3 N1 M0 SCC Dx 11-10-11 11-23-11 Left Hemiglossectomy 11-30-11 Modified Radical Neck Dissection 01-25-12 Removed another spot on BOT, skin graft (left thigh) 38 RADS Tx Finished April 13, 2012 Fall 2014 - HBOT due to wisdom teeth extraction post radiation
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 6 | There is no way most of us could have gone thru those brutal treatments with only percocet. Wow!!! you are one tough cookie! Hang in there and keep pushing yourself to get at least 2500 calories and 48 oz water every single day.
Good luck! ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Hey there - atrophy is very possible, try massaging the area (gently - particularly if you're raw from rads - in fact don't rub it just press it gently). I will help promote blood flow to the area which may help get rid of the pain. Swelling also causes pain - which I imagine is also an issue. good luck.. You can get through his.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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