Recovery from Surgery

kimmygarland
kimmygarland Member Posts: 312
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
We are now 4 weeks and 1 day since my husband's radical neck dissection, free flap throat surgery. I have to say I am very surprised at how slow the recovery is. Docs say he is doing great and right in line with where he should be so that is good news. He had appt Tuesday and the trache was removed (thank you Lord), and doc says all still looks well. Wounds are healing well, flap has good circulation, etc. They think he may have a little infection from the trache, all the coughing, etc. (coughing green, smelly mucous) so they put him on antibiotics but he has not run a fever or anything so doc is not concerned.

He also had a swallow test on Tuesday and that did not go so well. He is only able to swallow the tiniest sips of water. They gave him swallowing exercises to do and he will begin swallowing therapy on Monday. So it looks like the lovely peg tube will be our friend for a while. Please pray that he will at least get the ability to swallow liquids, if he could just do that he would feel mentally so much better.

His spirits have been up and down. I try and try to encourage and uplift him, but this slow recovery is aggravating him. HOWEVER, he is complaining now, and bored - so that is good news, I think.

I am so thankful for all the support here, it helps me so much reading from the patient's perspective, as well as talking with caregivers. I wish I could get my husband on here, but he is computer phobic! (Our son is working on him, lol)

Comments

  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #2
    Slow recovery
    I can understand your husband's impatience. I wasn't a candidate for surgery but I can still remember how impatient I was to get back to my "old self". Little did I know that I would never be 100% me again but I'm not complaining, I am happy with the "new me".

    I'm sure he's tired and bored with laying around so much but he needs to let his body heal so he shouldn't try to force things too fast. On his down days just remind him of what his good days were like and let him know that soon the good will outnumber the bad.

    My best to you and hubby,
    Glenna
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    #3
    Healing may be double
    Kimmy,

    I read back through some of your posts to learn about your husband alittle before I replied. You mentioned in a recent post that he had Chemo and Radiation in 7/2009. This will affect how he heals as the DNA in our tissue area that has been Radiated has been changed.

    Your husbands healing time may be double as to the normal 6 weeks only because he had the Radiation first. Not to say that it will, but it could, just wanted to make you aware of that figure. Several people on here have had a neck disection after radiation and stated that they were having a hard time healing. Your husband will heal, but he has to be patient and take each day as they come. He will have 1 good day per week, then 2 and so forth.

    I had asked my Surgeon and Radiation Oncologist why some Doctors radiate first and others operated first and other various ways of attacking cancer. They told me that it is like a baker making bread, each person wants the final result, and use the same ingrediants, just in a different order, but still have a loaf of bread at the end. Same for the Doctors, they want to cure the patient, each one has their own way on going about it, to reach the end result of a cancer free patient.

    My Best to Both of You and Everyone Here
  • kimmygarland
    kimmygarland Member Posts: 312
    #4
    MarineE5 said:

    Healing may be double
    Kimmy,

    I read back through some of your posts to learn about your husband alittle before I replied. You mentioned in a recent post that he had Chemo and Radiation in 7/2009. This will affect how he heals as the DNA in our tissue area that has been Radiated has been changed.

    Your husbands healing time may be double as to the normal 6 weeks only because he had the Radiation first. Not to say that it will, but it could, just wanted to make you aware of that figure. Several people on here have had a neck disection after radiation and stated that they were having a hard time healing. Your husband will heal, but he has to be patient and take each day as they come. He will have 1 good day per week, then 2 and so forth.

    I had asked my Surgeon and Radiation Oncologist why some Doctors radiate first and others operated first and other various ways of attacking cancer. They told me that it is like a baker making bread, each person wants the final result, and use the same ingrediants, just in a different order, but still have a loaf of bread at the end. Same for the Doctors, they want to cure the patient, each one has their own way on going about it, to reach the end result of a cancer free patient.

    My Best to Both of You and Everyone Here

    MarineE5
    Had not thought about the radiation/chemo "pre treatment" adding to recovery time - no one has mentioned that. Good point. Thanks for the feedback.

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