Michelle,

I don't want to alarm you, but I just wanted to inject a word of caution. It is good that the therapists are going to work on Marcy's tight muscles and lymph drainage. I just wanted to be sure that someone has addressed the issue of a possible metastasis beyond the neck area. My daughter Heather had a metastasis to the spine and she also had extreme swelling and pain in her face and the nape of her neck, which radiated across her shoulders and down her arm. It was part pain and part numbness. If Marcy's is all pain, it probably is just the muscles. But just be aware that there could be more going on. Heather's doctors kept saying that the pain and swelling were just the normal side effects from surgery and radiation, but of course that wasn't the case. Again, Marcy's is probably just tight muscles and lymph fluid, but please make sure the doctors stay on top of this. If they haven't done an MRI on the spine, perhaps they should.

Rainbows & hugs, wink
Rosie

Was primary caregiver to my daughter Heather who had stage IV base of tongue SCC w/ primary recurrence. Original diagnosis August 21st, 2002. Primary recurrence March 18th, 2003. Died October 6th, 2003.