Hi, Nate!
I hope you are a bit more comfortable at home. This is the time that sucks...healing and waiting. Keep a regular schedule with your meds. Set an alarm and wake up to take them so you can stay on top of the pain. As you probably know, it's better to keep pain meds at constant level in your bloodstream than to let levels dip and have to climb back up.

As far as the swelling goes, use soft gel reusable ice packs. If you don't have one already, they are the best because you can mold it to your face/neck. You can get inexpensive ones at your local drugstore. It's a good idea to have a few on hand so that when one gets warm you can put another cold one on. Also, I'm not sure how much area you have to cover. I'm assuming your face and one side of your neck. Be sure to have a thin layer of material such as paper towel or slip it inside a pillow case. I used paper towel and wrapped the ice pack up like a birhtday gift, that way it lasted for a while and it stayed in place. Putting light pressure on top of the ice can make it more effective and feels great. You can hold the ice around your jaw and face by tying a pillowcase around the top of your head...you know, like in the cartoons when someone has a toothache?

I am a physical therapist and use ice with patients all the time. There are 4 stages/sensations you feel with ice (cold, sting, ache, numb)...once you're numb, you're done. Keep in mind that you are likely already numb in many areas, so you have to make sure note the amount of time you have it on. Check your skin...it will turn red/pink then blanch a bit and return to normal within 10 minutes of removing the ice.

There are a few rules about ice.
*10-20 minutes every couple of hours; more than that, you're not letting blood flow back into the area

*Do not sleep with ice on...you can give yourself a serious ice burn!

*do not apply ice to graft/donor sites without your doctor's permission

*do not apply ice over medication patches, areas of poor circulation, open wounds, or infected areas

I purchased a recliner just before my surgery specifically for sleeping with my head elevated. I slept in that recliner for about 6 weeks after my surgery. If you don't have one or can't afford to purchase one, ask friends/relatives if they have one you could borrow for a while. Craigslist is also a possibility.

Also, when I was in the hospital, I had quite a bit of swelling and it was restricting my breating. The doctors ended up putting me on steroids and they did the trick. Of course, I am not a doctor and steroids have risks, but ask about them if you feel the swelling is really bad and certainly if it's affecting your ability to breathe.

I don't know you, but I have been thinking of you every day. I'm not on the forum daily because I find that I easily get depressed and anxious and end up focusing too much on cancer. I try to do it in moderation, but I have somewhat of a compulsive personality and can overdo things. Just know that if I'm not on here every day, I always check back to see how you're doing. I hope the tumour board and team come up with an effective treatment plan for you. You are also a part of that team, so keep exercising your input and self-advocacy.

I hope you can find some comfort both physically and emotionally. It will be nice to wake up each morning and not have cancer be the first thing that enters your mind.

Peace, my friend,
Kerri