Funny feeling in neck?

[pj880]

I had a TT in November 2010 for a 1 cm papillary tumor on the left side and a microscopic spot on the left side. I did not have RAI. My doc says the odds of a recurrence are very low.

My first year checkup is Monday and all of my blood tests have come back with the tumor marker as "undectable" thank god. Every now and then, though, I have a feeling of fullness in my neck right under my jaw on both sides. It doesn't feel like anything is swollen in there, but there is this feeling of "fullness" now and then.

I am wondering if this is scar tissue. Though I have no other symptoms and have no reason to think it's back, I am somewhat apprehensive about my checkup on Monday.

Any words of wisdom?

[Octavia]

Unfortunately no words of wisdom here, but welcome to the forum, and I have the same "funny feeling" in my neck. In fact, a friend of mine had neck surgery about 5 years ago for an entirely different kind of cancer, and when he asked me yesterday how my neck was, I said it felt funny...not painful, just funny, different. He said "welcome to the world of neck surgery." It's like there's an "awareness" there that I never had before, and I would agree with your "fullness" feeling as well. Call it paranoia, but there is pretty much no doubt in my mind that there's still cancer in there, but I've had to let those thoughts go until we know for sure after my 1-year scan in April (which I thought was supposed to be a 6-month scan, so I was disappointed to find out it was 12 months post-RAI).

With your checkup being on Monday, please try and do your best to stop stressing about it for now. Nothing's going to happen in the next 2 days to change what is seen on Monday. And this isn't going to help your worries much, but a few of us have discussed (briefly) in other threads about how our odds of needing another dose of RAI are about 40% to 50%. The fact that you did not have RAI tells me they were pretty confident they got all of your cancer and it had very little chance of coming back...so odds are totally in your favor!

[pj880]

Hi Octavia:

Thank you for your upbeat reply. I am a little apprehensive about Monday's checkup, but mostly because of this 'funny' feeling in my neck. I suspected it might be normal after having neck surgery so wanted to post today to see if anyone else has had the same feeling. Thanks for the validation.

[joplin1975]

I want to echo everything Octavia has said. I keep feeling strange little clicky type feelings....I'm doing my darnest to ignore them. :)

Do let us know how you make out! I'm very curious to hear from others how these kinds of things shake out.

[vdshelton]

Just came across this post and I'm having that same strange feeling, along with the little clicky type feelings. Not painful, but not enjoyable either. LOL. The best way for the feeling I get it like the little electrical shock you get from touching a door knob after dragging your feet across a rug....I feel that in my neck at various areas once in a while. I have no idea what that's about but I'm doing my best to ignore it since it's just an occasional annoyance rather than pain.

[pj880]

Just wanted to provide an update...

Had my first-year checkup with my endocrinologist last Monday and told her about the feeling of 'fullness' I had in my neck. She did an ultrasound and said everything (i.e., lymph nodes) looks good. She also told me that the vast majority of her thyroid cancer patients do not have a recurrence and do just fine.

I am taking this as proof that the funny feeling in my neck is due to having neck surgery last year.

[Andros]

Just wanted to provide an update...

Had my first-year checkup with my endocrinologist last Monday and told her about the feeling of 'fullness' I had in my neck. She did an ultrasound and said everything (i.e., lymph nodes) looks good. She also told me that the vast majority of her thyroid cancer patients do not have a recurrence and do just fine.

I am taking this as proof that the funny feeling in my neck is due to having neck surgery last year.

Very very good news. I read the original post but had no comments due to never having the surgery.

Now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Go kick up those heels!

http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww293/MsPiggy4/Icons/warmhugs.gif

[Butterflyjkg]

I'm so happy for you. Mine was taken out back on Oct 18th... I guess mine is still "fresh". Mine feels tight and snaps now and then...mine feels like it's lumpy and grown back even though it isn't.

I guess when they sew it all up in there, literally, they pull all kinds of things together... stretching and tightening it up. I think you would freak out if you knew what they do inside there. I don't think it will ever feel the same. I feel very aware of my swallowing too.... just like I did before hand.

I am so glad you got good results... that is wonderful. Very happy for you. hugs6

[Octavia]

I don't think it will ever feel the same. I feel very aware of my swallowing too.... just like I did before hand.



I hate what my neck feels like when I swallow now. The entire bottom half of the front of my neck moves up, scar tissue and all, and I feel it the whole way...it's so, so visible, too. If I bend my head/neck downward slightly, as if I'm looking at the floor 10 feet in front of me, it's much, much better - I don't feel it move at all!