HELLO
I HAD MY OPERATION ABOUT 8 WEEKS AGO.I HAD 38 GLANDS REMOVED ,WITH A PART OF MY JAW BONE ,THIS WAS REPLACED BY BONE FROM MY HIP.TOTAL NECK DISSECTION HAS LEFT A LOT OF SWELLING UNDER MY CHIN.THE SURGEON WHO CARRIED OUT THE OP SAID THIS WILL REDUCE AS TIME GOES ON ,DOES ANYONE ELSE KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM?

Chris. The swelling will go down it takes some time tho, the skin is so thick there this is what I was told anyway. Plus you move it so much. It was under my neck that took the longest to go down. The rest took a while too tho. My Doctor also told me it was because the fluids so not drain fast.I know that I would wake up if I slept on the right side of my face, the left would be swollen up, because of the fluids. They just didn't have anywhere to go..It is perfectly normal so don't panic. This is a long painful process,,,anyone who says differently well hasn't had the surgery. You can read about me in on this site. I have had it all done to me.....But I am still alive and giving this disease a run for it's money....Always Vicki Lynn

THANKS VICKI FOR THIS.ITS NICE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH SIMILAR.YOU SOUND LIKE A POSATIVE PERSON TOO AND I HOPE YOU REMAIN THIS WAY
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK #
THANKS CHRIS

Hi Chris, Vicki is right about the swelling i had radical neck disection and it took ages before it goes down. Your neck will never go soft skin again though mine still fells like concrete. Just something to warn you about, if you get any infections or colds you may well find your nweck or face swell. This is because it's the glands in your neck that collect the fluid from these and because yours are gone or dead they can't do the job so that causes the swelling if you get it go to docs they will give you antibiotics and this should do the trick. The first time my neck swelled due to this it frightened me so went back to see my specialist who said it was normal.
Cheers Maurice

HELLO Maurice,cheers for the advice.Its only about 9 weeks since my op so I,ll leave it and see how it settles down if any in the next few months.I was reading your diary of events,very well put down and very interesting reading.
Ihope you continue to recover and get back to a normal routine well as normal as possible as we all know ,life will be slightly different after these ops.
cheers Chris

hi Chris I see you live in Glasgow i have some relations who live up there although I haven't been my dads brother lived there as do his children. The family name is McGaffin suppose you haven't per chance met any.
Cheers Maurice

Hi Maurice,sorry to say never heard of that family.What part of the city do they live?
Im now stuck on this pc all day now looking at every website about this terrible cancer,but in an educational way.

cheers chris

hi Chris not sure must ask dad. About being stuck on PC all day I know what you mean but beware it can do you more harm than good believe me I know.
Maurice

HELLO MAURICE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU,
the replacement bone in my jaw is still exposed slightly and I was told my maxf surgeon that this should heal itself,but i see no evidence of this,did you have any problem with the new bone being exposed?
or am I still being paranoid

cheers chris

Hello Chris

Obviously, bone is not meant to be exposed. Soft tissue will grow over it if the exposure is slight. The best thing to encourage this is to avoid trauma to the soft tissue around the exposure and keep the area clean. "Normal" saline mouthbaths (your hospital or doctor might provide you with this) will do this unless something else is advised. Hyaluronic acid (sold as Gengigel) has been suggested as a tissue healer. You can get it in the form of a gel or mouthwash. It might help and should do no harm.

Best wishes
Vinod

HELLO DOCTOR,
YES I DO CLEAN MY MOUTH VERY REGULARLY USING CORSODOL AND SALTY WATER MIXTURE.
MR JOHN DEVINE FROM GLASGOW,S SOUTHERN GENERAL WHOM CARRIED MY OP ASSURES ME THAT IN TIME IT WILL HEAL BUT MAY REQUIRE A MINOR OP TO COVER THE BONE PROPERLY

CHEERS CHRIS