Hi, I've been trying to keep a blog but this is a better forum for pain issues. I'm now two weeks from mandibulectomy etc. Very little pain in hospital but just as I left and over last 5 days there's been a miserable aching plus sore throat.It became bad enough to go to GP on Sunday. From her I got some relief but in stingy doses and I was soon back in trouble. On the pain scale it was possibly 5 but whatever, it took away my readiness to talk and eat and do my jaw exercises for my trismus. Tramadol did not work at all and neither did low doses of Oxynorm or Oxycontin. Rang hospital and saw ENT registrar who gave me stronger doses of codeine and Oxynorm as well as Ibuprufen. To cut a long story short the stronger doses of the old drugs together with paracetamol have done the trick. I don't really need the Oxy. Just writing this to share the info. Last time I had no pain on discharge from hospital but this time with the jaw hurting and surgery on top of previous surgery I'm feeling weird from neck up on left side.
Love to all
Maureen

1996, ovarian cancer surgery + cisplatin and taxol.
September, 2007, SCC of left lateral tongue. Excision.
October, 2009 recurrence in scar tissue, T1NOMO. Free flap surgery from left wrist - neck dissection. 63 year old New Zealander. No chemo, no RT.
February, 2014. New primary in left buccal mucosa. Marginal mandibulectomy, neck dissection, right arm free forearm flap. T1N0M0 but third occurrence and some areas of concern: RT started 8 April and finished 19 May.