hi all

i've just had two sessions of RT so far and already had a bit of a shock! about three hours after my last RT i developed a really sharp pain on both sides of my neck/jaw. (just at the point where your jaw bone joins your skull). this was followed by really bad swelling which is still there 6 hours later. i've taken pain killers which has numbed the pain and spoken to the hospital who advised the same and that i should see the doctor before treatment tomorrow. I just wondered if anyone else had suffered similarly?

I origianlly thought (rather optimistically) that i might get away without any side effects until the second week of treatment!!

This does not bode well for other side effets and I'm now even more worried about it all. I feel like a complete coward but i just wondered how "normal" this sort of symptom is? The hospital said i shouldn't have got any side effects this soon when i called them!!

Any similar experiences anyone?

Thanks

Hello bianconeri

It does sound a bit odd!

Could it be trauma to the area caused by pressure exerted by your mask? If you think so, then apply ice packs, take some pain-killers and relax.

Best wishes
Vinod

thanks vinod

no i dont think it is like that it is more like a swelling in the lymph glands(?) i would say in my complete ignorance of the matter! the mask does not feel uncomfortable, the swelling is quite localised and in the same place on both sides. it is more prominent on the right hand side which is where i had the neck disection and it is an area about the diameter of a golf ball! i will let you know what the doctor says tomorrow. what alarmed me was that the nurse i spoke to on the phone said it was VERY early to be getting any side effects!

Just a thought: It might be that the pressure of the tight fit might have caused some lymphatic fluid accumulation as the normal lymphatic drainage has been affected by the neck dissection you had.