| | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 92 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | OP  Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 92 | Since treatment and getting the all clear August 1st I often feel the sides of my neck (as I am sure most of us do) checking. Today for some reason I felt directly in the middle (put finger on chin and trail down about an inch and there is a fairly large odd feeling area. I would say it feels like a tumor. It feels like an inch or more from top to bottom and an inch or two from right to left. I know that since treatment my chin seems to hang lower and I don't know if it is just because I noticed this but I can feel it sitting there when I look down now. It is right smack dab in the middle and is the same length on both sides. I can't remember it being there before but I honestly can't remember if I felt that area before I don't see how I could have missed it. I just saw my ENT two weeks ago and he felt around and everything was fine. Naturally I will be contacting my ENT Monday morning but I was wondering could this be some side effect of radiation or surgery. Could this be lymphedema? I am sure I am panicking for no reason and maybe this is some kind of anxiety release from trying to hold it all together for so long but I am actually in tears.
AGE 38 10-2012 thru 3-2012 swollen lymph node,painful jaw and ear,2 antibiotics,X-ray,CAT scan,needle biopsy,scope, no answers
3-4-13 tonsillectomy and selective neck dissection, DX R tonsil SCC,METS to 1 lymph node,BOT,HPV+, stage IV
TX 35 RAD,3 chemo cisplatin/Taxol started 4-8-13
rad end 5-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 421 Likes: 1 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 421 Likes: 1 | Lymphedema would be my guess. I have a golf ball sized "lump" under my chin, kinda hard, feels swollen, worse in the mornings. Docs said it was lymphedema last time I was there in early August.
"T"
57
Cardiac bypass 11/07
Cardiac stents 10/2012
Dx'd 11/30/2012 Tx N2b MO Stage IV HPV+
Palatine Tonsillectomy/Biopsies 12-21-12
Selective Neck Dissection/Lingual Tonsillectomy/biopsies TORS 2/7/13
Emergency Surgery/Bleeding 2/18/13
3/13/2013 30rads/6chemo
Finished Tx 4/24/13
NED Since
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 4 | Same here, and agree with Mr. T, as mine was the size of a golf ball too, but as mentioned, it's good to bring it to the attention of your doctor. Good luck.
10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 269 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 269 | : ( will be waitIng with you.....xo
Nancy (53 at dx)
Metastatic SCC. Stage III. HPV positive with occult primary. N1, no ecs
7/1/11 - L-Selective neck dissection. Tonsillectomy. All clean. No rad, no chemo.
5/29/13 - Found primary
7/3/13 - TORS
7/8/13 - Emergency Surgery/Blood vessel burst in throat
8/9/13 - Peg in
9/3/13 - Radiation starts 30 IMRT, 60gy BOT, 56gy both sides of neck
10/14/13 - Radiation ended!
11/12/13 - PEG out!
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 92 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | OP Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 92 | Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I am almost certain that is what it is, I don't think a tumor 1X2-3 inches would show up in a matter of a couple of days, I don't think I was thinking rationally at the moment. All I could think was "I don't want to go through treatment again". I will most certainly bring it up the docs but I can breath now and enjoy the rest of my weekend. 
AGE 38 10-2012 thru 3-2012 swollen lymph node,painful jaw and ear,2 antibiotics,X-ray,CAT scan,needle biopsy,scope, no answers
3-4-13 tonsillectomy and selective neck dissection, DX R tonsil SCC,METS to 1 lymph node,BOT,HPV+, stage IV
TX 35 RAD,3 chemo cisplatin/Taxol started 4-8-13
rad end 5-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Be calm Aimee! You will undoubtedly be scheduling a few quick visits to the ENT. It goes with the trauma of all you have been through. Tumors are usually very hard and attached so you can't move them with your fingers. All others are usually just stuff that happens. I have a few BB's that everyone says are burned in sebaceous glands. They keep growing and I stopped worrying.
Lymphadema is probably the culprit. I used to marvel at how the blob was hard and just quit where's the radiation stopped. Hope you get it checked out Monday...for peace of mind.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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