#60519 03-30-2007 12:54 PM | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 35 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP  Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 35 | Hello everyone. I have not been here for a while. My recovery is going great.
My question is for my best friend. He also had a tumor in his tonsil but his went to stage four before they found it. He had to have a "radical" neck dissection. They cut from his right ear, along the jaw bone, to his chin and then from the center if that incision down his neck to the shoulder. They said the removed a lot of scarred tissue, his jugular vein, and sixteen lymph nodes.
All of the tissue came back clean, so we are hoping his cancer is gone.
It has been three weeks since the surgery and he is still in nearly unbearable pain. Has anyone gone through this? If so, how long did it take you to recover?
Thank you in advance.
Max Young
Stage 2 tonsil cancer --- SURVIVOR! | | |
#60520 04-01-2007 02:47 PM | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 583 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 583 | Hi Max,
Your friend will need more time than 3 weeks. If he is in pain make sure he tells the Dr. Part of a good recovery is not being in pain. His neck will get better but it will take a while.
I went into radiation & chemo a month after surgery. My neck is still stiff at times. I do stretches everyday to help. It was very sensitive to touch for a long time. I was on pain meds. for about 4 months. I really do not remember now.
Congratulations on your own recovery!
Take care,
Diane
2004 SCC R.tip 1/4 tongue Oct. 2005 R. Neck SCC cancer/Chemo Cisplatin 2x/8wks. Rad. Removed Jugular vein, Lymph gland & some neck muscle. TX finished 1/20/06... B.Cancer 3/29/07 Finished 6/07 Bi-op 7/15/09 SCC in-situ, laser surgery removed from 1st. sight. Right jaw replacement 11/3/14. 9 yrs cancer free as of Jan. 2015
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#60521 04-01-2007 03:09 PM | Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,627 | Max, you describing his pain as "unbearable" raises a red flag with me. There is some pain involved with a neck disection, but unbearable pain three weeks later? I had a neck disection and certainly didn't experience this. I think your friend needs to see a doctor immediately.
Minnie
SCC Left Mandible. Jaw replaced with bone from leg. Neck disection, 37 radiation treatments. Recurrence 8-28-07, stage 2, tongue. One third of tongue removed 10-4-07. 5-23-08 chemo started for tumor behind swallowing passage, Our good friend and much loved OCF member Minnie has been lost to the disease (RIP 10-29-08). We will all miss her greatly.
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#60522 04-04-2007 06:26 AM | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 378 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 378 | I agree with Minnie, unbearable pain after an ND at 3 weeks is not normal and they need to see what's going on with him. I hope by now he has gotten back to his doctor.
Regards JoAnne
JoAnne - Caregiver to husband, cancer rt. tonsil, mets to soft palate, BOT, 7 lymph nodes - T3N2BM0, stage 4. Robotic assisted surgery, radical neck dissection 2/06; 30 IMTX treatments and 4 cycles of cisplatin completed June 06.
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