Radical left neck disection

Stretching and Massage exercises
D-Byrd, Found it----this a post that I made some time ago. -----

Stretching and Massage exercises

A simple neck stretch exercise the Cancer Therapist taught me was to sit or stand and not move my shoulders. Keeping my mouth closed, look up at the ceiling as far as possible and hold for a count of 10. Return to facing forward and then look to the left and again count to 10, then the right. Next, look straight ahead and tilt your head to the left as if trying to get your left ear to touch your left shoulder, again count to 10, then the right side. That is the exercise she taught me and it has helped over the yrs. Try to do these 3 times during your day if you can.

Next, the massage for the Lymph system. It is a gentle massage starting at the front of your chin. Using 2-3 fingers,make small circular movements for 6-8 circles and then slowly move up in sections along your jaw on one side, working up toward the top of your ear and then slowly behind your ear and down toward the jugular vein and to your collar bone. Do both sides this way, either one side at a time or using both hands, do both sides at the same time. Then starting under your chin and by the Adam's apple, make circles again and work under your jaw bone and towards the ear area.

Next part is, place your right hand in the center of your chest so your hand can work from the center of your chest to your left shoulder just below the collar bone and push gently to the left shoulder 6-8 times and repeat on the right side with your left hand. After that, raise your left arm straight up towards the ceiling, place your right arm across the front of your body, reaching to touch your shoulder blade, slowly run your hand down along your side to your waist 6-8 times, repeat on the other side.

Next,we have a lymph system reservoir located in the general area of our belly button and to the left, but a few inches down near the left hip bone. Near this area, press alittle more firmly and make 6-8 circular motions. Work across the lower stomach area making a smiley face ( or a U shape) across to your right hip area and then back again. This stimulates the reservoir and helps move the lymphnode system.

We also have the benefit of gravity working on our side, after this stretching and massage, by walking for a short period, gravity takes over and the fluids start to move down towards the reservoir. Cutting down on salt helps and drinking roughly 64 ozs of fluid a day helps flush our bodies. If you do this properly, you will start to make more trips to the bathroom to urinate.

It took just a few visits for me to catch on and it started working for me in several weeks. I was swelling up in my face and neck, causing tightness and difficulty turning my neck and eating . Again, you will do this massage 2-3 times a day if needed. Sometimes, I only do it once a day and other days I don't need to. You will know when to do it.

Also, if we do any type of heavy lifting, picking something up that weighs more then 25 pounds, our blood and lymphnode fluid move to the area doing the work ( shoulders and neck ) which in turn causes us to swell. Sleeping flat will cause us to swell also. Once the Lymphnode system repairs itself. We will have to do less of this massage and stretching exercises. If the swelling flares up, we can do something about it.

If it continues, I would ask to be taught by a Cancer Physical Therapist, they can show you the proper technique. Hopefully, this will be helpful.

My apologies for such a long post.

Same
Almost the very same that they found on me almost 15 years ago. I had 5 golf ball sized notes wrapped around my jugular. Then they could not do surgery first. I did chemo and radiation to shrink and then radical neck disection. Oh and mine was on LH also. All of what you are experiencing is so the same as mine and many others. The hard part is everyone experiences side effects so different from one another. I can say this, you are blessed to have had the treatments now vs when I had mine. The equipment that they use now is superior in so many ways than back many years ago. I can see that those being treated now have many less side effects as they can pinpoint radiation and stay away from area's they do not need to hit.

Your pain may take months/years to slowly get better but it will get better, mine took about 18 months until i could wake up and be able to have what I call a new normal day. that is a day where there are reminders but all are bareable.

My doc. always told me when I would point out the same type feelings your having, he would say. " I can not find anything, the pains you feel now are reminders of how blessed you are to be alive, go out and continue to have fun". After all these years I believe every word of it, I live it still daily. Just small things like looking up very high in the sky is not easy and very little reminder when I do it. It reminds me of C and how blessed I am.

Positive Mental Attitude is hugely important to the long slow recovery time. Nothing good comes out from something easy and fast.

See your Doc. often for the continued confirmation that there is no cancer and have fun no matter how many very small hurdles you continue to have daily and sometimes hourly.

John

NECK ISSUES
D-Byrd, welcome to the site. Keep osting and reading as this is where I go for knowledge and comfort. I had 21 nodes removed of which 19 were cancer. I was fortunate as my surgeon was able to save my muscle, my Jugular and every nerve with the exception of one near the top of my jaw. This will most likely resuly in permanent numbness to my ear lobe on the right side.

I had my Tonsillectomy 8-2 and my neck dissection 8-6. I have virtually no pain at the incission site but have constant pain to the area by my Rotator Cuff and to the right shoulder blade. I assume it is pain radiating to this area from the surgery. I have allot of stiffness to my neck. I started going back to the gym Monday and when I try to stretch by hanging from a chin up bar.I still have to support myself by leaving my feet on the floor. I feel like if I let my entire body weight hang that my neck will split open.

I assume the stiffness will remain for quite some time as they took allot of tissue out of my neck.

Can anyone comment on this??

BEST!!

Mike

MarineE5 said:

Stretching and Massage exercises
D-Byrd, Found it----this a post that I made some time ago. -----

Stretching and Massage exercises

A simple neck stretch exercise the Cancer Therapist taught me was to sit or stand and not move my shoulders. Keeping my mouth closed, look up at the ceiling as far as possible and hold for a count of 10. Return to facing forward and then look to the left and again count to 10, then the right. Next, look straight ahead and tilt your head to the left as if trying to get your left ear to touch your left shoulder, again count to 10, then the right side. That is the exercise she taught me and it has helped over the yrs. Try to do these 3 times during your day if you can.

Next, the massage for the Lymph system. It is a gentle massage starting at the front of your chin. Using 2-3 fingers,make small circular movements for 6-8 circles and then slowly move up in sections along your jaw on one side, working up toward the top of your ear and then slowly behind your ear and down toward the jugular vein and to your collar bone. Do both sides this way, either one side at a time or using both hands, do both sides at the same time. Then starting under your chin and by the Adam's apple, make circles again and work under your jaw bone and towards the ear area.

Next part is, place your right hand in the center of your chest so your hand can work from the center of your chest to your left shoulder just below the collar bone and push gently to the left shoulder 6-8 times and repeat on the right side with your left hand. After that, raise your left arm straight up towards the ceiling, place your right arm across the front of your body, reaching to touch your shoulder blade, slowly run your hand down along your side to your waist 6-8 times, repeat on the other side.

Next,we have a lymph system reservoir located in the general area of our belly button and to the left, but a few inches down near the left hip bone. Near this area, press alittle more firmly and make 6-8 circular motions. Work across the lower stomach area making a smiley face ( or a U shape) across to your right hip area and then back again. This stimulates the reservoir and helps move the lymphnode system.

We also have the benefit of gravity working on our side, after this stretching and massage, by walking for a short period, gravity takes over and the fluids start to move down towards the reservoir. Cutting down on salt helps and drinking roughly 64 ozs of fluid a day helps flush our bodies. If you do this properly, you will start to make more trips to the bathroom to urinate.

It took just a few visits for me to catch on and it started working for me in several weeks. I was swelling up in my face and neck, causing tightness and difficulty turning my neck and eating . Again, you will do this massage 2-3 times a day if needed. Sometimes, I only do it once a day and other days I don't need to. You will know when to do it.

Also, if we do any type of heavy lifting, picking something up that weighs more then 25 pounds, our blood and lymphnode fluid move to the area doing the work ( shoulders and neck ) which in turn causes us to swell. Sleeping flat will cause us to swell also. Once the Lymphnode system repairs itself. We will have to do less of this massage and stretching exercises. If the swelling flares up, we can do something about it.

If it continues, I would ask to be taught by a Cancer Physical Therapist, they can show you the proper technique. Hopefully, this will be helpful.

My apologies for such a long post.

Lymph Fluid
You also might want to look up an MCT diet (medium chain triglycerides). MCT fats are processed by the liver instead of the lymphatic system. Cutting down on fatty foods and eating MCT fats instead helps to decrease the amount of lymph fluid (chyle) that is going through your lymph system in your face and neck.

Look into coconut milk, coconut water, MCT oils, organic grass fed meats, etc... At this moment, I have to keep under 20 g of fat a day because I'm having problems with chyle build-up. If you're interested in this, I suggest speaking with the dietitian on staff at your hospital so you can keep up calories while keeping fat content low.

MarineE5 said:

Stretching and Massage exercises
D-Byrd, Found it----this a post that I made some time ago. -----

Stretching and Massage exercises

A simple neck stretch exercise the Cancer Therapist taught me was to sit or stand and not move my shoulders. Keeping my mouth closed, look up at the ceiling as far as possible and hold for a count of 10. Return to facing forward and then look to the left and again count to 10, then the right. Next, look straight ahead and tilt your head to the left as if trying to get your left ear to touch your left shoulder, again count to 10, then the right side. That is the exercise she taught me and it has helped over the yrs. Try to do these 3 times during your day if you can.

Next, the massage for the Lymph system. It is a gentle massage starting at the front of your chin. Using 2-3 fingers,make small circular movements for 6-8 circles and then slowly move up in sections along your jaw on one side, working up toward the top of your ear and then slowly behind your ear and down toward the jugular vein and to your collar bone. Do both sides this way, either one side at a time or using both hands, do both sides at the same time. Then starting under your chin and by the Adam's apple, make circles again and work under your jaw bone and towards the ear area.

Next part is, place your right hand in the center of your chest so your hand can work from the center of your chest to your left shoulder just below the collar bone and push gently to the left shoulder 6-8 times and repeat on the right side with your left hand. After that, raise your left arm straight up towards the ceiling, place your right arm across the front of your body, reaching to touch your shoulder blade, slowly run your hand down along your side to your waist 6-8 times, repeat on the other side.

Next,we have a lymph system reservoir located in the general area of our belly button and to the left, but a few inches down near the left hip bone. Near this area, press alittle more firmly and make 6-8 circular motions. Work across the lower stomach area making a smiley face ( or a U shape) across to your right hip area and then back again. This stimulates the reservoir and helps move the lymphnode system.

We also have the benefit of gravity working on our side, after this stretching and massage, by walking for a short period, gravity takes over and the fluids start to move down towards the reservoir. Cutting down on salt helps and drinking roughly 64 ozs of fluid a day helps flush our bodies. If you do this properly, you will start to make more trips to the bathroom to urinate.

It took just a few visits for me to catch on and it started working for me in several weeks. I was swelling up in my face and neck, causing tightness and difficulty turning my neck and eating . Again, you will do this massage 2-3 times a day if needed. Sometimes, I only do it once a day and other days I don't need to. You will know when to do it.

Also, if we do any type of heavy lifting, picking something up that weighs more then 25 pounds, our blood and lymphnode fluid move to the area doing the work ( shoulders and neck ) which in turn causes us to swell. Sleeping flat will cause us to swell also. Once the Lymphnode system repairs itself. We will have to do less of this massage and stretching exercises. If the swelling flares up, we can do something about it.

If it continues, I would ask to be taught by a Cancer Physical Therapist, they can show you the proper technique. Hopefully, this will be helpful.

My apologies for such a long post.

For Marine
Thank you for your post. Once again, I have found the answers to my questions before I even had a chance to ask them. I have rather extensive lymphedema of the chin and neck, three months out from end of my treatment. These massage techniques were just what I was looking for. I have been waking up in the wee morning hours with the sensation of having trouble breathing, usually because I've slid down off the pillow, and my puffy neck is at a bad angle. Straightening out my neck usually helps. Allowing the water from my morning shower to flow over it reduces the puffy. These massage techniques should do the trick.

Thanks again

Deb