im 33 and im worried about the scars that will be left down my neck and chin when they break my jaw plus im getting a temp tube in my throat and will be fed through a chube for about a month or more.
has anyone had the same thing done ?
FormerMember
Hi Betsy,
Welcome to the Online Community. I'm really sorry to hear about you diagnosis, and the operation you are facing. From your profile, it sounds as though you are feeling very alone and daunted by the prospect of this surgery and the possible scarring.
If you're looking for people who've had similar procedures, I'd recommend joining and posting in our head & neck cancer group, where there are quite a few members who've had surgery on the neck and tongue. It's a really good place to share your feelings and get support.
I'm not sure from what you wrote exactly where your cancer is, but we also have a specific group for gullet (oesophagus) cancer, if this is relevant to you.
You might also find it helpful to give our team of experts a call on the free Macmillan Support Line (0808 808 0000, Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm). They are there to listen if you need to talk through your worries about the surgery, and the specialist nurses can also help provide information if you have questions.
Hello Besty. Five years ago I had both extensive surgery and radiotherapy for floor of mouth cancer, so I have a pretty good idea on how you are feeling just now ... although it can be scary, you can get through. Yes, due to a flap replacement to the floor of mouth ( from my left forearm ) and an ear-to-ear neck dissection I have scars ... but to me they are the badges of survival.
I also had a nasogastric tube ( for feeds and meds ) twice during my treatments and it wasn't a problem at all ... in fact, in many ways it was a blessing at the time.
Priscilla has already given you the links for a couple of groups, including Head and Neck Cancer so do join and post there for help and support.
