Hi Sharon and Joe,

Just wanted to wish you luck with the neck dissection and chime in that the reasons the ENT presented for doing it makes sense clinically. Like others on this post Jack had his done before the treatments because that was appropriate for how his cancer presented. Deciding which treatments are appropriate should be very individualized to each patient. Jack felt the neck dissection was the least difficult of all his treatments, most of his negative side effects came from the radiation and chemo. He did have muscle weakness in his shoulder that resolved by doing his exercises. The numbness in his neck persists but has gotten better over time.

Other than being careful on how much luggage he's going to carry on your trip he should be okay. The staples and drain comes out in a week usually and incision scars typically heal well. You have to be right on top of Jack to notice it now.

Since it's needed, having it done before Christmas - and the new $1000 deductible makes good sense. There's also a lot to be said for peace of mind of getting that node out of there since it hasn't reduced with the other treatments. The main thing is that your doctor is explaining rationale that makes sense to you. Go for it and look forward to that trip.

Regards JoAnne