Fistula

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hwt
hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
edited September 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I recently saw posts from others that have had fistulas. Wondering where they were and how they were dealt with. I had one years ago when I had a parotidectomy, It was behind my ear and cured with an air sickness patch. The one I have now, under my chin, is larger and more serious. Some titanium from my jaw is actually visible. It is up in a surgical scar so not visible to everyone else. Having it looked at Wednesday. Curious of others experience.

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  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #2
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    HBOT

    Mine is in my mouth, back by the wisdom tooth (boy I wish I had those pulled before treatment!).  I just started HBOT but I think that I will have to end up going in for oral surgery to close it.  We will see, I've just finished day 4.

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
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    KTeacher said:

    HBOT

    Mine is in my mouth, back by the wisdom tooth (boy I wish I had those pulled before treatment!).  I just started HBOT but I think that I will have to end up going in for oral surgery to close it.  We will see, I've just finished day 4.

    Teeth

    I too wish I had pulled all my teeth before treatment, but I did not find out until years later that my doctors did not suggest it because they did not think I was going to live very long. My problem is also in the Jaw maybe someday it will go away maybe not.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • Jeff2159
    Jeff2159 Member Posts: 108
    #4
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    I had one

    I had one 16 months ago right where the neck and floor of mouth meet. My floor of mouth does not exist due to surgeries and the skin graft was dissolved my a medicine (sutent) that I had to take to get rid of mets to lung from kidney cancer. Mine started I believe due the lymph system backing up from neck disection and my neck swelled up to the size of tennis ball. Something had to give and it was my neck and all the crap that was built up. It closed and opened a few times for the next month or two but now no issues for the past year. Have to be careful due to infection

    Jeff

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
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    Still Healing...

    I have one, different circumstances and area...

    Mine is in my stomach where the incision was from the Whipple Surgery.

    It has almost sealed up after four almost five months. But not completely, I might have to have surgery to go in and attempt to close what's leaking... In my case, I believe it's where the stomach was re-attached.

    At one point, every time I ate or drank something, I would see residue from it leaking from my stomach... Blue GatorAde, blue fluid in the bandage covering it...

    John

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #6
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Still Healing...

    I have one, different circumstances and area...

    Mine is in my stomach where the incision was from the Whipple Surgery.

    It has almost sealed up after four almost five months. But not completely, I might have to have surgery to go in and attempt to close what's leaking... In my case, I believe it's where the stomach was re-attached.

    At one point, every time I ate or drank something, I would see residue from it leaking from my stomach... Blue GatorAde, blue fluid in the bandage covering it...

    John

    Thanks to all

    Appreciate everyone's response. I am having surgery next week and hopefully, that will resolve mine. Like yours, John, my bandage can reflect the menu in a variety of colors. 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #7
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    candi, mine was in my neck. 

    candi, mine was in my neck.  it was huge.  you could see my lary tube through the hole.  i wasn't allowed ANYTHING by mouth for about 6 months, they were hoping it would heal on its own but it never did and i had to have surgery after waiting 4 months for it to heal.  from what i understood, a fistula is VERY serious.  I was told I could die.  praying for good news for you and that it will heal itself.  mine wouldn't heal because it was where my radiation was and the skin was no good, it kept tearing.  let us know what your doc says.

    God bless you,

    dj

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