Hello Jools and welcome to the Cancer Chat community.

I'm really glad to hear you're recovering well from your parotidectomy and I'm sure any members who are due to have this surgery will definitely take you up on your very kind offer :)

Do feel free to impart your wisdom on any discussions you find about this when using the 'search forum' option in the purple bar above.

If you have any questions during the rest of your recovery, you're welcome to give our team of cancer nurses a call on 0808 800 4040. Their phone lines are open Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello Jools and welcome to the Cancer Chat community.

I'm really glad to hear you're recovering well from your parotidectomy and I'm sure any members who are due to have this surgery will definitely take you up on your very kind offer :)

Do feel free to impart your wisdom on any discussions you find about this when using the 'search forum' option in the purple bar above.

If you have any questions during the rest of your recovery, you're welcome to give our team of cancer nurses a call on 0808 800 4040. Their phone lines are open Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

Kind regards,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

I have had this operation twice and remember that there was very little information available when I was looking for some reassurance.

I can confirm that I was left with a very slight numbness around my right ear, cheek and neck.I'm not aware of it most of the time but in cold weather ( now!) it can ache a bit.

The first proceedure I had was very neat and involved pulling my ear back so nothing was noticeable on my neck. However, the second time I had a large scar on my neck which concerned me. However, it healed so quickly and within a few weeks it wasn't noticeable at all. This was all a few years ago now  and there is no visible scarring at all.

On both occasions I was still working and was back at work within 2 weeks despite having an infection after the first proceedure.

This post is old so not sure il get a reply I hope you are well can I ask where your lump/ swelling was, I'm due an ultrasound on my neck on Monday I've had swelling their over 6 weeks now  and I've got constant numbness kinda feeling on the side of my face / jaw bone just Infront of my ear nervous to find out what is causing the swelling on my neck and worried for my 2 kids if it does turn out to be C. Thanks

Hello,

I had a small lump on my neck below my jaw. You couldn't see it but I knew it was there. It didn't cause me any problems but after a while I did go to my GP as my sister had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer several years previously following similar symptoms.

I was immediately referred to an ENT specialist  and after a consultation and 2 different types of scan I then had my first surgery.The consultant told me that these type of lumps quite often come back and sure enough about a year later I was back having a further operation.Neither of these lumps were found to be cancerous and hopefully you will get similar news shortly.

Both my sister ( who had her thyroid remved) and myself have been well since then

i

Hi Keltburn, how did everything go?

Hi jools I hope all is well with yourself thank you for asking how it went, I had my ultrasound scan and when I phoned the doctors for results the receptionist told me it came back normal so I'm happy but also feel like I'm going mad as my side of the neck is definitely bigger than the other side not a hard noticeable lump per say but swelling. Just makes me not want to go to the doctors anymore as just feel like their looking at me like I'm crazy now.  Just have to live with whatever is causing it or maybe it's just a fatty area on my neck who knows .  Best wishes to you

Ah ok, yes I cam understand your concern. My whole issue started off with swelling & they thought it was an infection, but it didn't really go down, hence the ultrasound, but they do say an MRI gets a closer look at what can be underlying. My tumour was so deep that the surgeon said he couldn't even feel it when I was asleep, but it did show up on the ultrasound. I would see how you are in a month or two & maybe go back if it's still bothering you. Hope you manage to find the strength to overcome it x

Hi Jools

Your comment about the tumour being difficult to detect is interesting.

In the initial stages I could feel it, if I pressed hard with my finger about the size of a pea. But the ultrasound could not pick it up. The doctor could not feel it either and said that I had the benefit of being able to feel it from both the inside and the outside via my finger. A few months later I got an MRI scan which did pick it up as it had grown, but by the time I was operated on another 2 months after the scan I was feeling quite ill, it hurt and was the size of a golf ball.

That was 5 years ago and Ive been quite healthy since then. Like everyone else on this forum who has had cancer there is always that slight worry at the back of your mind that it will recur at some point.

Couldn't agree with you more. My consultant did say that the tumour would likely return, but in 8/9 years time, but you can't help thinking 'what if it's sooner.' Keeping sane, remaining positive & being as healthy as possible, I think is all one can do x

Hi Jools

Did you have a course of radiotherapy in addition to surgery?

Hi, no absolutely nothing else as it was benign & all removed. As I've lost volume in that area, so the consultant said to just keep feeling the area.x