Hi Francine; I had an extended radical neck dissection almost three months ago and now there are actually folks who are unaware that I have had surgery! Most of the swelling is gone thanks to good massage of the area and my shoulder problems are improving as I continue the strengthening exercises that the PT at the Cancer Center taught me. The long term effects of radiation win hands down in the hard to deal with category (for me anyway) but the prize we gain is more time to smell the roses. Because of my lack of margins after this last surgery, I've had to think pretty long and hard about "quality of life" issues and so far the quality is just fine.
I do wish you well as you go through this really difficult time when things are so uncertain. I hope we can offer helpful support to you as you meet this next challenge.
All the best,
Fran