Turkey neck?

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sharon 1
sharon 1 Member Posts: 50
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I just was looking at ny neck and it seems that on each side I have these swollen (not hard) lumps. Could this be the beinning of the dreaded turkey neck?? If so does it eventually go away?? They seem to be fluid.

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  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #2
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    i think she looks _ _ years old

    Sharon,

    Yes, it may be the start of the dreaded “Turkey Neck”.  Many of us deal with edema, many of us have gotten and learned massage.  For me it improved, but since rads my neck makes me look older.

    Oh well, that’s life.

    Matt

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 727 Member
    #3
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    CivilMatt said:

    i think she looks _ _ years old

    Sharon,

    Yes, it may be the start of the dreaded “Turkey Neck”.  Many of us deal with edema, many of us have gotten and learned massage.  For me it improved, but since rads my neck makes me look older.

    Oh well, that’s life.

    Matt

    Me Too

    I too ended up with a slight case of "turkey neck".  Not very bad but I don't like it.  My doctor said the same thing as most everyone else.  It may, or may not go away.  It is caused by adema which is left over fluid from my surgery.  Knowing what I know now, I would have gladly left my draining port in for a couple more days to be free of it.  They say the massage helps but I haven't tried it yet.

     

    Tom

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #4
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    I had it real bad

    for about 6 months after treatment.  Mine has gone away....well, lets say that what's left is most likely due to my age, and not treatment...LOL. 

    p

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #5
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    Not real bad...yet

    I just have the gap where my larynx used to be. The left side in numb and always will be and I was so happy when I got the feeling back on the right side. Watch what you wish for, I wish the right was numb as well. It splits right down the center and if you touch the part that has feeling I cough and gag. Just makes it hard to shave, and the stoma [the hole I breath through] is growing hair like nose hair. That is so wierd because I never had neck hare there. Have to use tweesers everyother day and pull them.

    Bill

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #6
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    i have it and have since the

    i have it and have since the neck dissection.  mine is pretty bad and makes my head look very long as its under my chin so it looks like an extention of my head.........yuk.  i have given up on it getting better.  it will be 3 yrs since surgery on 2/28/15.  I hope yours goes away like it did for others.

    God bless you,

    dj

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    #7
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    tommyodavey said:

    Me Too

    I too ended up with a slight case of "turkey neck".  Not very bad but I don't like it.  My doctor said the same thing as most everyone else.  It may, or may not go away.  It is caused by adema which is left over fluid from my surgery.  Knowing what I know now, I would have gladly left my draining port in for a couple more days to be free of it.  They say the massage helps but I haven't tried it yet.

     

    Tom

    Hi Tom I have done the

    Hi Tom I have done the massage and it does help.Even where I go they have sessions but started with my speach and swallowing specialist who said they are great.He was able to move the fluid down and out.But you will pee alot after.I go now about once a month for maintance

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #8
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    Liposuction

    My ENT told me that some people have liposuction for the lymphodemia. I've read this can be successful. I've got it under my chin. I will look into it post one year.

    I've also heard that lymph massage is also helpful but it is difficult to find a qualified massage therapist. You can go on YouTube and find tutorials to do massage yourself!

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #9
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    Bunnymom said:

    Liposuction

    My ENT told me that some people have liposuction for the lymphodemia. I've read this can be successful. I've got it under my chin. I will look into it post one year.

    I've also heard that lymph massage is also helpful but it is difficult to find a qualified massage therapist. You can go on YouTube and find tutorials to do massage yourself!

    Some General Information

    The turkey neck is common to most of us. Some remedies and ideas I found to deal with mine. Initially I went for 6 sessions of Lymphedema massage and yes my insurance covered it. They are really readily available. Best resource to find one is a breast cancer clinic as it is much worse in our Breast cancer sisters. There is an online Lypmpedema "find a therapist website" outthere somewhere. There is inforrmation in the Superthread, I think Joe Zuther is a contact person. There is an entire line of "Compression Garments" available for purchase from temp to nightly masks that you wear to sleep. "Solaris" is one company I remember and they have a website. Hang in there as in six months most of it will be gone. Generally the Lymph nodes will make new drainage channels albeit smaller and thinner than before but they will drain.  There are many posts about massaging and technique on here. I obviously didn't like it either!

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