A Side Effect?

sin9775
sin9775 Member Posts: 199 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi Everyone.

My brother made a trip "home" this past weekend.  It was great seeing him.  He looked so much better than when I visited him a few weeks back.  The whole family came over to visit with him.  We also celebrated his daughter's 21st birthday.  It was a great weekend; we all had a wonderful time.  That's the good news.  The bad news is, he called this evening to tell me about something "weird with his neck".   He says it looks awful.  I believe it to be Lymphedema.  Yes, I went to the internet after he told me what was going on.  He went to work the first time today after weeks off.  By the end of the day he said his neck was swollen and looks like there is fluid in it.

Do you think I am correct in my "diagnosis"?  He did call his ENT, but the office was closed.  He will call again in the morning.  I decided to ask you good folks about this instead of doing more reading.  It is something I never heard anyone talk about here before, then just now I read a post from Roar that mentioned the word!  Is this something that can be treated?  Will it go away?  Will it get worse?  Is it something to worry about? 

The timing of this couldn't be worse for him.  He works with the public.  I feel so bad, things have been going pretty well until now. 

Please shed some light on this for me if you can.

My heart aches for him and all of you wonderful warriers. 

~Shawn~

Comments

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #2
    Lymphodema hits just about

    everybody at sometime towards the end or after treatment.....for some it is worse in the mornings when gravity hasn't been able to work on it....we call it the turkey neck around here.  Massage by a lymphodema specialist can help get things moving....it does go away.  He's noticing it far more than the people he's working with....Mine gradually went away at about the 5 month mark.

    p

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #3
    puffy neck

    Shawn,

    I was just massaging my neck because of edema.  There is a section in the superthread about it and the massaging technics which help.  Insurance usually covers a series of massages; mine did at about 3 months post.

    As P51 said, it looks worse to the one wearing it than to others.

    I still think you are a good sister!

    Matt

  • sin9775
    sin9775 Member Posts: 199 Member
    #4
    Thank you, Phrannie, Matt,

    Thank you, Phrannie, Matt, and John.  I feel better hearing that this will/should go away.  I found it interesting that his appeared in the afternoon.  I thought maybe it was because he wore a tie and the restriction to his neck caused it to appear.  When I heard everyone talk about "turkey neck", I thought you were referring to red, rough neck caused by the rads.  When describing his condition to me yesterday, my brother did say it looked like a turkey neck!  I should have caught on then.

    ~S~

    P.S.  Thanks John, for saying you think I'm a good sister.  My brother makes it easy.  He is one of the most loving, caring, funny people I have ever known.  I think you would like him.

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
    Turkey Neck Club...

    Hi Shawn, more than likely what P and Matt have both already hit on.... You can always have him get a quick look see from his MD's though.

    Like mentioned we call it the latest member of the Turkey Neck Club...

    Usually caused by the damage done from rads..., usually somewhat temporary and going away after 9 - 12 months, or mostly away.

    The lymphatic pathways that are used for fluid travel and drainage get messed up. You can help with certain massage techniques, and like Matt mentioned, the SuperThread has the techniques mentioned.

    Anyways, nore than likely that's whats going on, and more than likely, over time it will mostly, if not entirely go away once nes paths are established, or old re-established.

    As Matt mentioned, you are an awesome sister for hooking a brother upu...

    Best ~ John

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