GOBBLER NECK

luv4lacrosse
luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I had a Modified Neck Dissection on the Right Side and I have really started to notice this large clump of loose skin to the left of Midline and when I look in the mirror, it looks like my Airway shifts to the left also.

Is this my new look forever and ever? Are there any excersises I can do to try to correct this?

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
    Turkey neck
    I know what you mean, I am at a point where I don’t care about it any more, just like the big hearing aids I have sticking out my ears

    Take care
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #3
    Hondo said:

    Turkey neck
    I know what you mean, I am at a point where I don’t care about it any more, just like the big hearing aids I have sticking out my ears

    Take care

    GOBBLER NECK
    Hi Hondo, hope you and the family are doing well. Is the Gobbler Neck something we will all most likely have to live with, or have you learned of any possible soulutions to correct?

    Thanks

    Mike
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #4
    luv4lacrosse said:

    GOBBLER NECK
    Hi Hondo, hope you and the family are doing well. Is the Gobbler Neck something we will all most likely have to live with, or have you learned of any possible soulutions to correct?

    Thanks

    Mike

    I keep hearing about this turkey neck thing...,
    Not happening for me. I got edema outside. I got edema inside, according to my doctor. I look and feel like a TOAD. Got no loose skin. Got a fat, rounded bulge under my chin where my neck used to be. ribbit ribbit ribbit.

    Perhaps this will all eventually subside. THEN I will have the turkey neck. I asked my doctor when I might expect the edema to subside. He said; "oh, March or so... March of about 2025!" Then he chuckled maniacally and sent me on my way.

    Deb
  • meinken
    meinken Member Posts: 38
    #5
    D Lewis said:

    I keep hearing about this turkey neck thing...,
    Not happening for me. I got edema outside. I got edema inside, according to my doctor. I look and feel like a TOAD. Got no loose skin. Got a fat, rounded bulge under my chin where my neck used to be. ribbit ribbit ribbit.

    Perhaps this will all eventually subside. THEN I will have the turkey neck. I asked my doctor when I might expect the edema to subside. He said; "oh, March or so... March of about 2025!" Then he chuckled maniacally and sent me on my way.

    Deb

    I also have an edema bulge.
    I also have an edema bulge. Its gotten better over the last 2 months(I'm about 7 months out of Rads, and it started about a month out), but it still grows to noticeable proportions overnight. In the beginning, it made my chin look like a dot in the middle of my neck. I purchased a compression strap (like this one: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10356) and when I wear it for about an hour in the morning the bulge moves down to barely noticeable. Then it grows back overnight. Without the strap, it does get smaller and looser as the day goes on, just not as quickly as with the strap.

    Not an option for you, Deb :), but I also grew my beard back as soon as I was able. Still no hair under my chin, but the jawline is covered and hides some of the edema.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My picture on the left is current. I have a pre and post treatment picture in my profile.
  • Greg53
    Greg53 Member Posts: 849
    #6
    meinken said:

    I also have an edema bulge.
    I also have an edema bulge. Its gotten better over the last 2 months(I'm about 7 months out of Rads, and it started about a month out), but it still grows to noticeable proportions overnight. In the beginning, it made my chin look like a dot in the middle of my neck. I purchased a compression strap (like this one: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10356) and when I wear it for about an hour in the morning the bulge moves down to barely noticeable. Then it grows back overnight. Without the strap, it does get smaller and looser as the day goes on, just not as quickly as with the strap.

    Not an option for you, Deb :), but I also grew my beard back as soon as I was able. Still no hair under my chin, but the jawline is covered and hides some of the edema.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My picture on the left is current. I have a pre and post treatment picture in my profile.

    Turkey Neck
    Hey ya Mike!

    Hope everything is going well for you! My turkey neck appeared about 1 month post tx. It was at its worst at 4-6 months post and currently at 8 months it has reduced significantly. So much so, I'd call it a chicken-neck vs a turkey neck. By the way its going now, it should be completely gone by 1 year out for me, I'm guessing. I don't recall anyone saying they had it long-term, but may be wrong there.

    Hope you're doing better every day! Did you make it back to work yet? Let me know when you're feeling up to it and we'll get together.

    Meinken,

    Nice beard Dude! I can count the number of whiskers I can grow. Oh well, saves me time every morning now.

    Best to everyone!
    Greg
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #7
    Greg53 said:

    Turkey Neck
    Hey ya Mike!

    Hope everything is going well for you! My turkey neck appeared about 1 month post tx. It was at its worst at 4-6 months post and currently at 8 months it has reduced significantly. So much so, I'd call it a chicken-neck vs a turkey neck. By the way its going now, it should be completely gone by 1 year out for me, I'm guessing. I don't recall anyone saying they had it long-term, but may be wrong there.

    Hope you're doing better every day! Did you make it back to work yet? Let me know when you're feeling up to it and we'll get together.

    Meinken,

    Nice beard Dude! I can count the number of whiskers I can grow. Oh well, saves me time every morning now.

    Best to everyone!
    Greg

    FEELING BETTER
    Hey buddy, I went back to work on11-29 pretty much full time. I am feeling better, but still get very tired. I am avail to get together just about any time. I will PM you with some info.

    BEST

    Mike
  • kingcole42005
    kingcole42005 Member Posts: 178
    #8
    I had a neck dissection on left side
    I had a neck dissection on left side and they pulled a muscle over to fill the hole in the floor of my mouth. My neck now looks lopsided, one side is larger than the other? Very weird looking to me and when I swallow you can really see the muscles working, it sound similar to yours. I just started radiation so I don't know if it's going to get worse or what but I sure hope not!!
  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    #9
    kingcole42005 said:

    I had a neck dissection on left side
    I had a neck dissection on left side and they pulled a muscle over to fill the hole in the floor of my mouth. My neck now looks lopsided, one side is larger than the other? Very weird looking to me and when I swallow you can really see the muscles working, it sound similar to yours. I just started radiation so I don't know if it's going to get worse or what but I sure hope not!!

    It went away
    Mine starting to decrease after 9 months, it was hard, swollen, gross, etc...it softened up and is no soft to the touch, sleeping in a slight incline decreases any form of liquid to settle, also do not consider plastic surgery, radiation has killed good cells and becomes chancey on any fixed, I was told this by my doctor, I thought mine looked bad, i was cut on 3 times, and it seems to be healing ok, Take Care, Dennis
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #10
    meinken said:

    I also have an edema bulge.
    I also have an edema bulge. Its gotten better over the last 2 months(I'm about 7 months out of Rads, and it started about a month out), but it still grows to noticeable proportions overnight. In the beginning, it made my chin look like a dot in the middle of my neck. I purchased a compression strap (like this one: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=10356) and when I wear it for about an hour in the morning the bulge moves down to barely noticeable. Then it grows back overnight. Without the strap, it does get smaller and looser as the day goes on, just not as quickly as with the strap.

    Not an option for you, Deb :), but I also grew my beard back as soon as I was able. Still no hair under my chin, but the jawline is covered and hides some of the edema.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My picture on the left is current. I have a pre and post treatment picture in my profile.

    Hi meinken
    Oh the feel of having a full beard again, great looking picture
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #11
    dennis318 said:

    It went away
    Mine starting to decrease after 9 months, it was hard, swollen, gross, etc...it softened up and is no soft to the touch, sleeping in a slight incline decreases any form of liquid to settle, also do not consider plastic surgery, radiation has killed good cells and becomes chancey on any fixed, I was told this by my doctor, I thought mine looked bad, i was cut on 3 times, and it seems to be healing ok, Take Care, Dennis

    Gobbler
    I am almost 11 month's post treatment & my turkey neck is still sticking around. The weather
    here get's very cold so I am able to wear pretty scarves to cover it up lol!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #12
    rozaroo said:

    Gobbler
    I am almost 11 month's post treatment & my turkey neck is still sticking around. The weather
    here get's very cold so I am able to wear pretty scarves to cover it up lol!

    Sounds like I'm lucky,
    Sounds like I'm lucky, because this is one side effect I didn't have. Or maybe if it did swell it would not be as noticable because of the big dip in my left side because of the neck dissection.
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #13
    sweetblood22 said:

    Sounds like I'm lucky,
    Sounds like I'm lucky, because this is one side effect I didn't have. Or maybe if it did swell it would not be as noticable because of the big dip in my left side because of the neck dissection.

    Turkey Neck
    I've been wearing this wrap-around thing at night called a Face Caddy. Velcro strip of cloth that fits under my chin and afixes itself on the top of my head. Works pretty well, except I now have this lose skin where the fluid used to be. Working to massage that out.

    Larry
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #14
    sweetblood22 said:

    Sounds like I'm lucky,
    Sounds like I'm lucky, because this is one side effect I didn't have. Or maybe if it did swell it would not be as noticable because of the big dip in my left side because of the neck dissection.

    Sweet
    Glad to hear that TN was one problem you did not have, by the way I love the picture
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #15
    Hondo said:

    Sweet
    Glad to hear that TN was one problem you did not have, by the way I love the picture

    Thank you. I like that
    Thank you. I like that picture too. I don't often like photos of me. :) especially these days.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #16
    sweetblood22 said:

    Thank you. I like that
    Thank you. I like that picture too. I don't often like photos of me. :) especially these days.

    Photo's
    Larry is that you....looking good brother.

    Dawn, all of your photos look good, I like the limo one I saw recently too...and Nizzy Noodle just couldn't take a bad photo if he tried.

    Best,
    John
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #17
    Skiffin16 said:

    Photo's
    Larry is that you....looking good brother.

    Dawn, all of your photos look good, I like the limo one I saw recently too...and Nizzy Noodle just couldn't take a bad photo if he tried.

    Best,
    John

    thanks, john
    i am soooo lost without my facebook app. i wanted to post photos of nizzy and his new xmas outfits and i can't. oh, i suppose i could send auntie shelley a text so she can see him cause they are cute. and as far as my birthday limo pics, im going to kill those kids if they don't get me copies of those pictures. they only tagged like five of them for me. we all looked pretty good, if i do say so myself. not easy for me to hold my own with the twenty somethings, and i want pictures for proof i out-danced them.

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