Hi guys
Has anyone else had problems with the scars on their arms? I presume it's sore and pulling because I'm now using the arm more, (no it's not the arm for lifting the wine glass, BEFORE anyone asks)
Sunshine... love and hugs
Helen

Hi Helen! I helped my sister move yesterday & while I had the truck rented, my brother-in-law & I picked up 22 sheets of 4'x12'x1/2" sheetrock, 2 62 lb buckets of drywall mud, etc. A couple of different moves really didn't feel so good to my left arm, but you adjust. Same feeling, soreness & pulling, feels tight. You know, it's funny, I remember 6 months ago, I couldn't lift my right arm over my head to rinse the soap out of my arm pit in the shower because of right neck dissection! Did you have flap from left arm, same side as dissection? That would be tough for sure! Erik

Hi Helen,

I was co-caregiver for my best friend who had terrible burn to her foot. When they did the skin grafts her donor site was from mid & upper thigh on the side. She also experienced much pain and discomfort (pulling & tightness) from this area. It took about 6 weeks for the donor site to really start to loosen up. She was given a special cream (bacitracin). You might call your regional burn center for more advice.

Jack
..........
Dx 1/15/97 SCC rt. tonsil met to rt lymph node Stg IV, Srgry 1/23/97 tonsillectomy & mod radical neck dissection, Radiation 35 trtmnts both sides

Hi
Eric, yes both dissection and flap on left side, but but my neck dissection has not afected my shoulder, has just left my neck tight, looks like I need more patience.
Jack, thanks I'm using Bio-oil to keep the skin flexible, the main probem was that when they took the stiches out of my arm the wound ame apart and it's left a very wide scar, will ask at the hospital when I go on monday.
Thanks
Sunshine... love and hugs
Helen

Helen, part of my physical therapy was massage with focus on scar tissue. They would stretch & stretch it. It really loosened things up. They worked on my chin, jaw, neck, flap site. A little uncomfortable, but it did help. One of the pt's focussed specifically on very, very small muscles in & around the trach site & the tiny muscles at base of my skull where spine attaches. I'm rambling, oh well! Erik

Hi Helen, the scar healing just takes time. Might try some vitamin creams and such, like anti-aging and anti wrinkle creams, stuff with vitamin E. I started going for men's facials (Ok watched too many episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, plus here it's really inexpensive) and what ever they were using helped reduce the scar on my neck from the second surgery quite a bit. Again though it also took time, but I could tell a slight reduction after each treatment.

If you've got the Body Shop retail chain over in UK check their products.
Bob

Helen,

My doctor gave me a sample of a product called "Scarless" that worked wonders on the the scar from my neck dissectomy, a friend's facial scar from being hit between the eyes with a softball and another's total abdominal hysterectomy. I bought it off the internet, it was a little pricey, but a little goes a long way. My doctor said it was like silicone for a caulking gun, didn't recommend using caulking silicone, but for some reason, this stuff works.

While my scar healed beautifully from my ear to my trachea on the right, it is wider over my trachea/thyroid area. It is however very soft and hides in a natural fold on my neck. My doctor swears by this stuff and massage.

Hope this helps. Private message me if you want the internet address for the stuff.

Lisa

Hi Helen, I have some trouble lifting so I try not
to use that arm. Hope you are doing okay otherwise.
Cathy