Hi Suzy from a fellow "Brit".You have had some brilliant help and advice from the gang,and i have just a few things to add that are relevant to UK users.Firstly don't despair if you don't get any answers to your posts for a while.This is to do with the time differences.Our USA family hit the boards late afternoon until about midnight,Aussies tend to reply early hours of the morning and things can be a bit sluggish over the weekend.

Secondly unlike our friends in the states,we are bound by the rigid appointment system of the NHS,and are not able to ring our consultants or ask to be seen whenever we wish,this can mean a long time between appointments and a lot can change over a few days in the post treatment phase of Oral Cancer.

If the swelling is very bad,then contact your local hospice.Most hospices in the UK have a Lymphoedema clinic and a specialist lymphodeama nurse,who is specifically trained in lymph massage.Bombard your GP until he refers you for help.Contact Macmillan or Marie Curie and ask if they have a service which may help, and always remember there is a support system here and also on our British based sister foundation The Mouth Cancer Foundation run by a Doctor based at Saint Lukes hospital in Bradford.I have an e- mail address in my profile that you are welcome to use any time.

good luck