Hi All,
I am newly diagnosed with an HPV positve P16 cancer that is in my nodes with a primary on the very back of the tongue. Tomorrow, I am going to have surgery, a neck dissection. I am hoping to find some advice for what to bring to surgery and what I can expect. Anything I should pack? Will I be able to move my arms to put on a shirt?

My tongue is still hurting so much from a biopsy I had two weeks ago.

I was given my treatment plan two days ago, on Thursday. I was not prepared for this but it's for the best to move as quickly as possible because it feels like more nodes are becoming involved. I put as much info as I could remember in my signature. The neck dissection is first because they are unable to treat my neck with radiation because of previous rads when I was treated for BC.

I will receive chemo and radiation in 6 weeks.

I am scared. Does anyone have any experience with AHCC and/or cannabis oil?

Maybe I am asking too many questions for a first post? Because of my surgery is tomorrow, I want to know about the neck dissection.

Feeling so upset.

Hello, welcome . So sorry that you have to join our groups you will get plenty of support and advice form others here who have also been in this situation.
What sort of neck dissection are you having? Radical? Modified? Bilateral, or one side. The type you have will have different effects on recovery.
Kris initially had a Right modified neck dissection of levels 2 - 4.
This was easy. He had no pain and recovery was quick.
6 months later he had a bilateral Radical neck dissection. This involved severing the nerve to the shoulder muscles and he needed a lot of physio therapy to help him regain movement.
I hope all goes well tomorrow . I'm sure your recovery will be fast and pain free.
Others will be along shortly to give you more encouragement and advice.
Christine will prep you up for the chem and rads. Heed all the advice and you will get through this.
Tammy

Thank you for replying Tammy.

I don't know what kind of dissection it is. I don't remember if they told me. It's going to be on the right side and a chain of nodes will be removed. Are the levels the level of the nodes?

They did give me warning about possible issues with the shoulder and facial muscles because of the nerves being touched and moved. It's a 3 hours surgery.

I hope your husband is recovering, I see 2014 ned, that is great.

Welcome to OCF! Sorry to hear of your diagnosis but glad you have found our site to help you get thru it.

As far as the remedies you mentioned, make sure you clear every single thing with your physician. Some things as simple as vitamins can actually interfere with treatments. Only thru conventional methods like radiation with or with or chemo and/or surgery will effectively eliminate the cancer.

Read and educate yourself both here and on the main OCF pages. An educated patient is a strong advocate.

QueenKong, my husband had a neck dissection last month, and I'm not sure what the right name for it is, but they removed 14 nodes with only one positive.

Doctors recommended physical therapy for shoulder, but we came home the same day of the surgery and my husband immediately started washing his car and moving his arms around. He couldn't stay still. I was worried, but the doctor seemed to be ok with the self imposed range of motion exercises.


My husband has not yet started radiation treatments. He reported some numbness in the side of the incision. Also, he felt pain when he tried to bite a large hamburger.

I pray that you have a positive outcome and things work out for the better.

Good luck!!!!

There are a number of type of neck dissections, which remove the Lymph nodes or a select chain of lymphs in levels l-VI, preserving all or one or more structures. Depending on the type of dissection, can have an effect on movement, and even touching neves can also impair them. These days most are modified radical neck dissections, MRND, instead of a radical neck dissection, RND, for the oropharynx, in levels ll-IV or ll-V, preserving one or more structures like the nerve, vein, neck muscle. You are usually there overnight or several days with a draining tube, and once that minimizes in accumulating fluids in the draining bulb, 1/3 way, they remove it or discharge you for later removal. My two hospitals put me in the head and neck "Step Down", like ICU for monitoring. The stitches are usually removed a week or two later. Previous radiated areas take longer to heal, and would have them removed in two weeks or later depending on healing.

I had 5 neck dissections. One was selected or limited whereby 2 cancerous Lymph nodes in two levels, II, III, were removed as ambulatory surgery, and required no draining tube, and it was under general anesthea, and a Pandendoscopy, with biopsies, was also undertaken. I ate a Big Mac on the way home.

I also had 3 radical neck dissections, RND, one which I was hospitalized overnight with a draining tube. Again, I ate a Big Mac, French fries, shake on the way home after discage, even a pastrami sandwich on rye another time. Two of the other dissections were more extensive, includung with IORT during surgery, more structures removed, required 4 days hospitization, but my range of moton, pain levels were good, and had the morphine in recovery, Percocet thereafter for a while. I eventually required PT sometime after, have newer issues, paralysis, but I'm talking about 5 years of consecutive treatments, and surgeries, so I can't really complain. Immediately after was not that difficult.

For me, surgery was the easiest, followed by radiation, and chemo was more difficult.

Here is an an OCF link describing the neck dissections: http://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/neck-dissections.php

Good luck!

Sorry to see you here but glad you found OCF. What state or country do you live in? This makes a big difference as to what canibus options might be available. For many the active ingredients provide relief from stress, anxiety, insomnia, pain, etc. Depending on where are try to get tested product so what you get is free of pesticides, molds, etc.

I had my surgery today. It was a radical neck dissection level 2, 3, 4 or at least that is what I think the fellow said. I have two drain tubes, and a lot of stitches. It;s hard to swallow. They gave br broth & jello. I can move my shoulder but that side of my mouth is not working, hoping that is temporary. Crooked smile will be okay if my life is saved. They have me on morphine.

All the food talk about hamburgers has me hungry. I am supposed to be trying to gain weight til I have the radiation and chemo. From what you are all saying, it sounds difficult.

I will write more when I am no more awake.

Thank you everyone for your responses. It means a lot to hear from others out there. I was looking for some advice and support.

I am in NYC so not a legal state but decriminalized I think. They just passed some new rulings. I'll have to look it up. I will consult with whatever. I am doing. I saw a study for the AHCC that looked hopeful. I will try some things until treatments start in hopes of keeping it at bay.

I wonder if anyone has tried any alternatives.

I'm pretty impressed you are able to post already!

Hi and welcome to the family. Many have gone through exactly what you are doing. For some it was a little easier than for others, but all of us had discomfort along the way. While we had pretty much the same worries as you have now, we all got through it and you will too. The trick is to just take one day at a time and to spend no time wondering or worrying about what tomorrow or next week or next month will be like. Your only goal today is to get through today; tomorrow will take care of itself.

I was one of the lucky few who had minimal discomfort during and after treatment. That doesn't mean I had no problems, they just weren't horrible side effects like a few have. Where will you fit into the side effects spectrum; no one can predict that.

I didn't need much in the way of pain meds, in fact I still have most of the meds they prescribed for me. Long story short, I know nothing about medical marijuana. I also haven't heard a lot of discussion of the subject on the forum, so I suspect it's use by others here is fairly minimal.

You will do fine, it won't be easy, in fact some days will be hard, but you will get through them, come out the other end and then start putting your life back together. I'm right at 1 year post treatment and other than food still tasting bad have no other side effects to deal with of any consequence.

take care,
Tony