Hi Nate - i'm a patient at MD Anderson in Houston too! i had a 1/2 neck disection in May 2010. LET ME TELL you, they do an AWESOME job. you can't even tell i had it. the drain bottles they hook to your neck are gross when you go into recovery. BUT just know that's just like a week and they'll be gone. you are in GREAT HANDS you will do fine. and just know you have the best surgeons in the World helping you!!!! the scar will fade. i'm four months and you really can't tell UNLESS you are looking for it. i met a gal from MD anderson who had a full neck disection in 3/2008. you can't see squat on her neck today.

man, you are going to pull thru this, and be so much better. one week of tubes and crude, but that is what the pain meds are for!

My prayers are so with you tonight. you are going to get thru this, and a year from now, you won't be the wiser. there's some weird kinks in some nerves they mess with, but that will go away in 6-8 weeks.

God Bless you Nate!