[quote=darkeyedlady0]Hi folks I am gonna chime in here cause I have recently had surgery and was told that radiation was not needed. Anyway I was just wondering how someone can tell if it a muscle that is tight from a neck dissection, scar tissue from neck dissection or a enflamed or swollen node. I have just recently been self massaging the area and well just noticed this can't see anything cause the area is still swollen. I am probably just jumping to conclusions but I am hyper cancer sensitive. I guess I am just curious if there is a noticable difference. I think it is too early after my surgery to tell. [/quote]

I think you'd need to ask your doc that Dianne. I've got bumps under my scar and it's a little tight and tender at times. I've asked the surgeon about it a couple times on followups and he says it's just a normal part of the healing and that it will eventually clear up.

I work with a woman who had an excisional biopsy a couple years ago and she no longer has any bumps in her scar area.

I'd play it safe and ask your doc though.