anyone have the neck dissection AFTER rad/chemo?

ahollie

the lymph gland is dead..but it isn't absorbing into the body like they would like it to do so they want to be safe and are considering the neck dissection after his finishes rads this week..has anyone else had the surgery AFTER?

Guzzle

Sorry

I had mine done before and am now being treated but will ask around over in UK to see if anybody here had that experience. Will let you know if anybody had that experience and send you a link if successful. Regards and hope it gos well ,G

phrannie51

I was threatened....

but it didn't come to pass.  My ENT told me that I'd be in for a dissection if the nodes didn't disappear after rads and chemo.....mine did so I didn't have to face that.  Pretty much everybody says the dissection was a piece of cake compared to the chemo and rads.

p

ahollie

phrannie51 said:

I was threatened....

but it didn't come to pass.  My ENT told me that I'd be in for a dissection if the nodes didn't disappear after rads and chemo.....mine did so I didn't have to face that.  Pretty much everybody says the dissection was a piece of cake compared to the chemo and rads.

p

he still has 5 rads and they

he still has 5 rads and they are going to give him an extra week of chemo afterwards..so we hope that happens..that it disappears...they said its dead..thank goodness..pleasepray that his disappears also....he is scared to have another surgery!

Guzzle

ahollie said:

he still has 5 rads and they

he still has 5 rads and they are going to give him an extra week of chemo afterwards..so we hope that happens..that it disappears...they said its dead..thank goodness..pleasepray that his disappears also....he is scared to have another surgery!

P. is right

Was amazed how quickly I got over dissection. I hope it doesn't come to it but if it does can advise on physio etc. G.

ahollie

Guzzle said:

P. is right

Was amazed how quickly I got over dissection. I hope it doesn't come to it but if it does can advise on physio etc. G.

thank you ..i feel better

thank you ..i feel better ...the dr's description was horrible...could you or would you mind sending me a picture?

KTeacher

ahollie said:

thank you ..i feel better

thank you ..i feel better ...the dr's description was horrible...could you or would you mind sending me a picture?

I think

The Superthread might have a picture tht someone posted.  Doctor usually goes through the crease (wrinkle) in the neck.  Not very noticable after awhile.  I had my dissection 1 year after first treatment.  Mine was mets.  They removed 14 lymph nodes and a salivary gland.  I did have more radiation after that and I did heal well.

debbiejeanne

my last rad tx was 10/22/09. 

my last rad tx was 10/22/09.  i had laryngectomy and neck dissection 2/28/12 (they removed 43 nodes).  doing ok today.  wishing and praying for the best for you.

dj

ratface

I had one after

Yes I had one immediately after Rads and chemo.  Selective with 9 nodes removed. My pathology was returned negative. Not unusual  nor uncommon to have it afterward. I think I have some pictures around somewhere. Pm me if you wish and I'll try and dig them up. They however look worse than the actual expereince which was rather unremarkable. The name of this procedure is just awful and should be changed to something less shocking like, "Ripping your throat open". FYI you can view the entire operation on you tube. 

ahollie

ratface said:

I had one after

Yes I had one immediately after Rads and chemo.  Selective with 9 nodes removed. My pathology was returned negative. Not unusual  nor uncommon to have it afterward. I think I have some pictures around somewhere. Pm me if you wish and I'll try and dig them up. They however look worse than the actual expereince which was rather unremarkable. The name of this procedure is just awful and should be changed to something less shocking like, "Ripping your throat open". FYI you can view the entire operation on you tube. 

wow...not sure if that made

wow...not sure if that made me feel better or more scared ...lol...can i ask why they waited until after to do yours? was your neck burned from the radiation....

donfoo

no super rush I think...

Generally the post rad surgery, called salvage surgery, seems like it is done once recovery from rads. Not too many go through post rad surgery. It seems like the would wait a bit to see how the body does first. So many things are changing while recovering it seems hard to second guess a need to do this procedure. Maybe they are just mentioning it might be necessary just to keep you updated. Good luck, Don

ratface

donfoo said:

no super rush I think...

Generally the post rad surgery, called salvage surgery, seems like it is done once recovery from rads. Not too many go through post rad surgery. It seems like the would wait a bit to see how the body does first. So many things are changing while recovering it seems hard to second guess a need to do this procedure. Maybe they are just mentioning it might be necessary just to keep you updated. Good luck, Don

It was a Personal choice

I requested a disection based on my particular diagnosis relative to recurrence risks and my personal risk tolerances.  A roll of the dice on my part. The choices are always yours. My treating physician disagreed. There are risks on both sides of the decision which you must arrive at on your own terms. I think it's crucial that you are on that path and will arrive at your personal comfort level. 

donfoo

ratface said:

It was a Personal choice

I requested a disection based on my particular diagnosis relative to recurrence risks and my personal risk tolerances.  A roll of the dice on my part. The choices are always yours. My treating physician disagreed. There are risks on both sides of the decision which you must arrive at on your own terms. I think it's crucial that you are on that path and will arrive at your personal comfort level. 

great insight

You are so correct. The specific path each of us cancer patients takes is a personal journey influenced by our own unique circumstances, both personal and emotional. We each face different junctures and have our own decisions to make at each one. Kind of goes with the new "normal" each of us grows into down the road.

Guzzle

donfoo said:

great insight

You are so correct. The specific path each of us cancer patients takes is a personal journey influenced by our own unique circumstances, both personal and emotional. We each face different junctures and have our own decisions to make at each one. Kind of goes with the new "normal" each of us grows into down the road.

photo

I have one on this phone and cant work out how to paste it! If you really want it on me your e mail and ill send it but I agree with ratface. It was taken on the day of surgery with staples in. I wish U had one a week later to show you. Apart from a bit of numbness you wouldn't know. The scar has healed really well. Regards, G.

wmc

ahollie said:

he still has 5 rads and they

he still has 5 rads and they are going to give him an extra week of chemo afterwards..so we hope that happens..that it disappears...they said its dead..thank goodness..pleasepray that his disappears also....he is scared to have another surgery!

Neck dissection

I never had rads or chemo but they did the neck dissection on both sides II~V 86 glands total, [48 on left and 38 on right side]at the same time they took out my tumor and larnix. I had some swelling and a lot of numbness but I did fine. Went back to work in 10 weeks. Thoughts and prayers for him.

wmc  Oct 2013

ahollie

Guzzle said:

photo

I have one on this phone and cant work out how to paste it! If you really want it on me your e mail and ill send it but I agree with ratface. It was taken on the day of surgery with staples in. I wish U had one a week later to show you. Apart from a bit of numbness you wouldn't know. The scar has healed really well. Regards, G.

thanks for the words of comfort...

makes me feel somuch better to hear good comments about it..i hope it doesn't come to this but i am glad to hear it is something he can manage..5 more rads adn then 3 weeks rest..hopefully the scan will show something different and he won't have to face the surgery but if he does..it sounds like its something he can handle....

JacquieinFrance

dissection

I had mine after chemo and chemo/radiotherapy and it was a piece of cake - out of hospital after only 5 days. However, mine was a radical dissection so I lost a lot of movement in my shoulder and arm.

Good luck!

Guzzle

ahollie said:

thanks for the words of comfort...

makes me feel somuch better to hear good comments about it..i hope it doesn't come to this but i am glad to hear it is something he can manage..5 more rads adn then 3 weeks rest..hopefully the scan will show something different and he won't have to face the surgery but if he does..it sounds like its something he can handle....

treatment

Everyone Ive spoken to thinks rads/chemo MUCH worse than the surgery and your hubby has nearly cracked them! So hes a tough guy. Ratface is doing extreme workouts down the line from the same treatment that would scare most people who have never had a days illness! IM about 6 weeks post dissection. I was walking a good distance 3 days post op and running/cycling a week in when staples removed. Driving no problem. I agree with the comments about getting pt/physiotherapy early. If it has to happen he can recover very quickly. If I had surgery alone Ivwould have been back to work in a month. Keeping shoulders mobile post op is very important. Regards, G.

jackflash22

Dissection

I posted before and after photos on my page. The immediate after op pic is gruesome but not as bad as it looks and a few weeks later I was practically back to norm. You'd have to scroll back to about August/sept last year.

ahollie

jackflash22 said:

Dissection

I posted before and after photos on my page. The immediate after op pic is gruesome but not as bad as it looks and a few weeks later I was practically back to norm. You'd have to scroll back to about August/sept last year.

thank you..several people

thank you..several people sent me pics..it makes you feel better to see them..so thank you for taking the time to do that for me

DrMary

Yep

My husband had the neck dissection after chemo/rads.  The tumor stopped shrinking halfway through treatement.  The dissection is not fun, but a walk in the park compared to the chemo and rads.  I do still remember getting the results - the tumor stopped shrinking because it had died on the inside and had a nice little shell keeping it in shape.  Kind of like those mineral formations that look like eggs and you break them open to find mostly empty space and a bunch of crystals.  I was certainly happy to hear that no sign of cancer was found in any of the other lymph nodes.  My husband seems to think it was worth it as well.