Hello All,
I haven't posted for a long time because my password dropped out and I had to get a new one - but it was sent to my work e-mail, which I couldn't access until I went back to work 3 weeks ago.
I actually went back to work for one day three weeks prior to that but only lasted a day before being put into hospital with a severe neck infection. I thought that I had a build up of lymph fluid just above my collar bone but it was getting sorer and sorer and eventually my whole neck and shoulder were red and tender. My ENT had seen me the week before (when it was just a sore lump) and had scheduled an Ultrasound and CT (for the day I went to Hospital). He later told me he though I may have had another cancerous node - but at the time I was told that he thought it was fluid but didn't want to aspirate without the scans (to locate the carotid artery). Not sure if he was feeling guilty for not picking up om the infection but he said he didn't want to worry me unnecessarily about this being a possible recurrence.
I spent 9 days in hospital on I/V antibiotics and had the abscess aspirated several times, then lanced and finally cleaned out surgically and a drain put in. I wasn't allowed to leave hospital until the drain was removed. This was really frustrating because I didn't feel sick at all - I just had a sore neck!
After getting home I had a nurse visit to dress and pack the hole in my neck once a day. She stopped coming 2 weeks ago but I still have a hole in my neck. I am very able to dress it myself but how long will it take to go away? It has been more than 5 weeks now and it still an open (though slightly smaller) hole. It's about a half an inch (1cm) in diameter and about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) deep.
Has anyone else had this problem in a radiated area? Any suggestions on speeding the healing would be appreciated.
I was told that this problem was caused by lymph fluid building up and then a bug (streplococcus) getting into it! The pathology was all good though - no cancer cells - just infection. What is to stop this recurring?
I also had to get a grommet put into my left ear about 2 months ago because I had glue ear which was possibly another side effect from the radiation (caused narrowing of the eustachian tube). Again has anyone else had this happen or am I particularly lucky?
Apart from this hole I am doing really well. I am back at work and starting to feel a bit normal - which is a novel and wonderful place to be at the moment!

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia but I hope that you all had a great day.

Sue