It was 1 year ago today that I had my neck disscetion operation. I cannot begin to tell you what all has happened in this long devastating year for me. I have learned so much about, fear, tears, faith, love, time, thought, friendship, pain, myself, others, Doctors, people, etc. This has been a year of extreme emotion for me. It has been a year of the hardest work I have ever done,,And guess what? Not a single paycheck. I have been so low that I thought I would never rise. I have also been so high that I felt I could touch the sky. I pray that this new year I am about to face holds no comparison to the last. I pray that I will continue to get better and that I will live on and on. I pray that CANCER leaves me alone for all my days. I pray that I will never ever know pain like I have known in the last year. I pray that I can live out my life with some kind of dignity and quality. WOW what a year this has been. I have tears in my eyes as I type this because those of you that have gone thru this know exactly what I am talking about. Always, Vicki Lynn

Congratulation Vicki on your one year anniversary! I celebrate mine in a couple of weeks too - you and I having had more or less the same operation. I never thought I would see another year through during those early days after the op (and on several occasions since!) but here we are. In the time I have been a member of this site you have been a real inspiration and great support to me and to lots of others on here. You have used your experience and suffering in a positive way to help and inform others and have touched our lives in a powerful way. Good on ya girl! I pray that your next year will be free of pain and each day better than the one before. Love Brenda x

I feel so bad to know that you have suffered so much..I don't know what else to say except to know that we are all thinking of you. I hope so much that you are felling better now.

Dear Vicki Lynn,
Thank you for answering my post, regarding fibrosis neck tissue (regarding my Father). Thank you for sharing your journey. My Dad has had a sqaumus cell tumor on his tonsill and when the Dr.s removed it they also took a very little bit of his tongue. Then 1 year later they found a tumor on his soft palet, it was removed and that left him with a small hole "dime" size in his soft palet. The 8 mos. later the tumor from his palet matastized to a lympid noid in his neck, this surgery was the one to forever change his life, it left him with nerve damage to his tonge, throat, shoulder, arm. This surgery was follow up with 8 weeks of radiation 5 day's a week except sat/sun & holidays. His is not able to eat, he has a PEG. He can only sip tiny bits of water, and even then the water gets to far down and he starts to choke and coughs and gags. He also suffers from the radiation induced fibrosis, and the scar tissue, this makes his neck and shoulder musles hard like a rock. He is on morphine, vicodin, muscle relaxers, aniexty pills. The doctors will not give him steroids to reduce swelling because they fear the side effects of long term use ie. major organ damage, suppress immune system ect. He should be doing exercises, but he is in so much pain. The back of his throat is so dry that he has large pieces of dried mucus that cause him to suffer when he tries to cough it up or he uses his apirator machine. I hope and pray for him everyday. Thank you for sharing with me I will try to find the Toothettes. I also am currently looking into a small portable suction machine that has a 8 hr. battery with a retractable yanker with tubing and canister. It is enclosed and has a shoulder strap. If I can find a distributor, I can buy it for my Dad and get him out of the house for longer. I will share my findings with everyone.
Bye for now, Kim

Kimberely, Oh my word your pour Father. The machine you are looking for is made by DeVilbiss. Mine is a DeVilbiss Suction Unit 7305 Series. (Dr J: you might get one on EBay) You should be able to get thru his insurance. This is where I got mine. It is portable with a case that you put it in. It has a rechargeable battery with a charger. I have had mine since I was released from the hospital a year ago. I do not know what I would do without it. That is the honest truth. If you look it up on the internet it will give you the closest dealer to you as well. I can also get parts for mine right here in Las Vegas. I pray that you can find one for your father. I would give anything if I didn't need mine anymore I would give it to you. I do understand all the probelms your Father is having. I also have trouble with my arm, shoulder and neck. They removed the major vein in my neck, shoulder and arm when they did the surgery on me. But I still try my best to work on it so it will get what muscles that I can get to move--moving..This is a horrible thing for a child to have to watch, this much I know, for my own kids cannot bare to even be around me. Which has all but broken my heart. I would love for them to be with me during all this, LORD knows it would sure help me, but I cannot make them or change how they feel. If they only knew how this is going to one day hurt them. Kimberely I will pray for you and your family as I do all the families out there that are in the same boat with us., This is not a easy thing to overcome. What choice do we have, NONE. I read the poem that was posted about I look in the mirror, I wish I felt the way she does. I don't. I feel that I have been wounded so deep that when I look into the mirror I can't see me,,,,,,Always Vicki Lynn

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr Vinod K Joshi,

Kimberely, what part of California are you from. My Doctor is there. Let me know. I want you to call him about the suction machine. He can help you get one....Okay,,,,Vicki

KIM, WHERE ARE YOU??