I know it is really trivial and meaningless...however, have you had problems with earrings after ra

staceya
staceya Member Posts: 720
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Please accept my apologies for this very shallow post.
With all that everyone is going through, earring questions are at the bottom of the list..
That being said, even though I can hardly eat and have all of the usual problems..I would like to wear both my earrings, but one ear swells up everytime I try..
Has anyone else had this happen?

Thanks
Stacey

Comments

  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #2
    Ears
    Wow. How odd. I started to buy some earrings a few days ago, and start wearing jewelry again. Now I'm sorry I didn't. I'm curious, and would love to know if I'd have any issues with earrings. Hope someone has a clue.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #3
    Why, yes, I did ... trivially speaking, of course
    I did notice a bit of a problem. I'm four weeks out from my last rad today. The radiation definitely cooked the surface skin around my lower jaw about as severely as it cooked my neck, and I did notice minor skin effects as high up as my cheeks and earlobes as well. (On the plus side, I haven't noted any of the dreaded chin hairs or upper lip hairs since radiation started... TMI... sorry).

    I tried to put in a pair of earrings, for the first time, a couple of days ago. Both earring holes are significantly smaller than in pre-radiation days. Couldn't get my thicker earring posts into either ear. My narrowest posts - gold ones, slid easily into one ear, and would not go through the other ear without some effort. That ear has been swelling and giving me trouble since then.

    I tried antibiotic ointment, and peroxide, but I've had the best result with swabbing my earlobes with rubbing alcohol, and dipping the earring posts into the alcohol before inserting them. Seems to help them slide in more easily and I get less swelling. Trivially speaking, of course. ;-)

    Deb
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #4
    D Lewis said:

    Why, yes, I did ... trivially speaking, of course
    I did notice a bit of a problem. I'm four weeks out from my last rad today. The radiation definitely cooked the surface skin around my lower jaw about as severely as it cooked my neck, and I did notice minor skin effects as high up as my cheeks and earlobes as well. (On the plus side, I haven't noted any of the dreaded chin hairs or upper lip hairs since radiation started... TMI... sorry).

    I tried to put in a pair of earrings, for the first time, a couple of days ago. Both earring holes are significantly smaller than in pre-radiation days. Couldn't get my thicker earring posts into either ear. My narrowest posts - gold ones, slid easily into one ear, and would not go through the other ear without some effort. That ear has been swelling and giving me trouble since then.

    I tried antibiotic ointment, and peroxide, but I've had the best result with swabbing my earlobes with rubbing alcohol, and dipping the earring posts into the alcohol before inserting them. Seems to help them slide in more easily and I get less swelling. Trivially speaking, of course. ;-)

    Deb

    Thanks!! You all cheered me
    Thanks!! You all cheered me up!
    I will try the rubbing alcohol...
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #5
    staceya said:

    Thanks!! You all cheered me
    Thanks!! You all cheered me up!
    I will try the rubbing alcohol...

    Earring's!
    I also noticed that my earring's are fitting more snug! I had one hole that was larger & was considering having it stitched before treatment as my post would go through it lol! plus one sunspot on my face that was driving me nut's has disappeared. Now that is a good thing lol!
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    Hi Stacey

    On here nothing is trivial and meaningless what affects one of us affects us all; we are all just one big family of friends trying to help each other, so ask all the questions you have.

    Take care
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #7
    Earings
    I haven't tried earrings after treatment. Wait, I haven't tried them before either.
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    #8
    SASH said:

    Earings
    I haven't tried earrings after treatment. Wait, I haven't tried them before either.

    LOL
    Sash,

    I am sitting here chuckling, as I was going to write something like that earlier as well : ) Nothing wrong with a bit of humor now and again.

    My Best to Everyone Here
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #9
    MarineE5 said:

    LOL
    Sash,

    I am sitting here chuckling, as I was going to write something like that earlier as well : ) Nothing wrong with a bit of humor now and again.

    My Best to Everyone Here

    Earlobes
    Mine are bugging me too since rads. I have been doing the alcohol thing. I soak mine in alcohol and swab my ears daily with the alcohol. I have always had problems with my earlobes, especially the left side. Which happens to be the side I had the cancer on. As a matter of fact I have had my earlobe and a lymph node swell on that side a few times before and I thought that was maybe what was wrong when I first found my lump there. Except this lump was further down than 'usual'. I have now been able to leave my earrings in all the time. I have a 14k gold Mickey Mouse pair I wear all the time. I am looking to get a very small gold hoop that will hug my earlobe so I can leave them in my first holes all the time.
    Only thing is now I notice if it isn't 14k gold my ear will itch and swell. My cute but cheaper earrings bug my ears.
  • staceya
    staceya Member Posts: 720
    #10
    sweetblood22 said:

    Earlobes
    Mine are bugging me too since rads. I have been doing the alcohol thing. I soak mine in alcohol and swab my ears daily with the alcohol. I have always had problems with my earlobes, especially the left side. Which happens to be the side I had the cancer on. As a matter of fact I have had my earlobe and a lymph node swell on that side a few times before and I thought that was maybe what was wrong when I first found my lump there. Except this lump was further down than 'usual'. I have now been able to leave my earrings in all the time. I have a 14k gold Mickey Mouse pair I wear all the time. I am looking to get a very small gold hoop that will hug my earlobe so I can leave them in my first holes all the time.
    Only thing is now I notice if it isn't 14k gold my ear will itch and swell. My cute but cheaper earrings bug my ears.

    Yes..it does seem to be the
    Yes..it does seem to be the cute and cheap earrings that are the problem..which leaves out a lot of my choices...

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