buccal mucosa

debbiejeanne
debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I'm actually posting this for ankursazena99 as they had put it in a post from 2011 and i wanted all to see this so he would get replies.

 


Hi

I also was diagnosed with buccal mucosa cancer (right cheek). I had surgery on Sep 1 2014 and am recovering now. Whule surgery went well, lymph nodes came negative and margin of tissue removed from cheek also came negative, I do have questions on post operative recovery aspects. I had tissue and blood vessels taken from my left forearm and surgically placed in my right cheek. Forearm tissue was repaired by taking a graft from thigh.

1. I yet have swelling and hardness in my right cheek. Is it o.k and will it go away with time?

2. Left forearm is yet swollen and movement and sensation has not returned fully. Is this natural and expected after more than a month post surgery?

Would help me immensely for any inputs.

Thanks 

Ankur

Comments

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #2
    forearm flap

    I had a left forearm flap taken for my laryngectomy and esophagus reconstruction.  It was in a cast for 2 weeks, and then a splint for 3 more weeks.

    I couldn't move my hand or wrist when it was finally free.  I started out holding on to a soup can and moving my wrist as much as I could, and closing my fingers around it.

    Then I went to a soda can, and then something smaller.  The doctor wanted me to go to hand therapy, but no one every called me back, so I did it all on my own.  Now I have 100% function.

    I do have one spot on my forearm that must have a bundle of nerves under it -If I touch it - pain shoots up to my thumb.  Otherwise, my thumb and part of my palm are tingly or numb - sometimes - depending on how my lymphatic fluids are there causing swelling.

    Don't know about the cheek.  I had a neck dissection in 2007 on the right - and then 2014 on the left with some messing around on the right at that time.  I've had very little feeling on the right since then, and the neck is as hard as a rock there.  The left side isn't so bad.  The swelling was there for months.

  • ankursaxena99
    ankursaxena99 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Thanks

    ThanksLaughing

  • ankursaxena99
    ankursaxena99 Member Posts: 4
    #4
    lornal said:

    forearm flap

    I had a left forearm flap taken for my laryngectomy and esophagus reconstruction.  It was in a cast for 2 weeks, and then a splint for 3 more weeks.

    I couldn't move my hand or wrist when it was finally free.  I started out holding on to a soup can and moving my wrist as much as I could, and closing my fingers around it.

    Then I went to a soda can, and then something smaller.  The doctor wanted me to go to hand therapy, but no one every called me back, so I did it all on my own.  Now I have 100% function.

    I do have one spot on my forearm that must have a bundle of nerves under it -If I touch it - pain shoots up to my thumb.  Otherwise, my thumb and part of my palm are tingly or numb - sometimes - depending on how my lymphatic fluids are there causing swelling.

    Don't know about the cheek.  I had a neck dissection in 2007 on the right - and then 2014 on the left with some messing around on the right at that time.  I've had very little feeling on the right since then, and the neck is as hard as a rock there.  The left side isn't so bad.  The swelling was there for months.

    Hi Thanks for the inputs. I

    Hi 

    Thanks for the inputs. I too had a cast for 2 weeks on my left forearm. Then the doc put a crepe bandage. Now I have a kind of a stocking for my arm. I have joined a physiotherapy clinic and am hopeful that the forearm will return to full functionality. Currently, am hardly able to use the left arm.

    I had a neck dissection to remove lymph nodes on right side. Neck is stiff with restricted movement. Right side of neck is hard, with little sensation. Doctor has told that the area will soften with time and some amount of sensation will return. Am undergoing physiotherapy for neck movement.

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #5
    Healing takes a long, long time

    Sometimes years, literally.   I had a forearm flap three years ago.  It really did't bother me much, except for an area that was so tender to the touch I couldn't stand to touch it.  Two years later, I was able to wear my watch on that side again.   But other than that, this arm has never been a problem at all.   The skin graft site from my thigh used to cover the forearm defect actually bothered me more.....

    The swelling you describe is normal for now.  It will take much longer to go away, but likely this will graduallly just fade into the backgrond to where you one day realize it just isn't prominent any more.  Hard to say how long.

     

    Pat

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