I have some lymphedema above my scar on my neck due to my neck dissection. I am going to lymphedema therapy and it's working, slowly, but it's working...Anyone else have this problem and if so, what are you doing to get rid of it and any suggestions besides therapy to get rid of it..
thanks..

Hi Joel,

I have some lymphedema (turkey neck) due to my neck dissection but it varies in severity day to day. There's been a few days here and there where it's been pretty annoying but generally, it's not bad.

It didn't come on until I started sleeping prone in my bed after sleeping in my recliner for 5 weeks after treatment so I'm sure it's due to gravity not allowing the fluids to drain. I have a chin "sling" for lack of a better word that I wear sometimes when I sleep and that helps some.

Last week at my appointments with my team they felt it would resolve on it's own in time. They recommended sleeping propped up but I just can't get comfortable that way.

In the mean time, I'll just deal with "gobbling"

"T"

I had, and have lymphdemia, after three neck dissections, but the turkey neck from the ball under the chin basically subsided, and may be more fibrosis, leather neck, now on the left side neck all the way to my ear, left jaw, and maybe from working out with weights being I have a pec flap in my neck (my neck muscle was taken out) and my muscles are gettng bigger now, and so is my neck lol, really, and my chest was big before Tx anyway, so I expect it to continue unless I slack off. I'll get a full report on Thursday when I see my ENT. I have a sleep matic or similar brand bed, so the incline does help, and also does with the thick mucus as well. Sometimes it swells more from certain foods, occasinal beer, medicines, tooth infection, which is the purpose of the nodes anyway to rid the body of toxins, but most of my nodes are basically gone, but there are over 300 lymph nodes in the HN, most microscopic, unless they enlarged. Acupuncture may help, lymphatic drainage as mentioned, and there is liposuction being done in Nova Scotia, that reported good results, with no adverse effects, but I don't know if it's done elsewhere. Light exercise, like walking, swinging the arms above the head, swimming, sweating, saunas, and a trampoline gets the lymph fluids flowing, and helps with lymphatc drainage, but see your doctor first.

Thank you all for the advice, I really do appreciate it..

Kris's lymphoedema has just resolved with time. 18 months post surgery it is barely there.
Tammy