How long before my taste buds recover after H&N treatments?

@vickie1320 I don't think "scanxiety" ever goes away. The earlier in the recovery, the scarier it is. I still worry each time even though it's been 3 1/2 years. The brutality of the treatment is really fresh on your mind in those early days, plus the obvious risk of the cancer having returned, or I guess never had gone away.

The saying "don't worry about something you can't control" is absolutely accurate and logical, but it is impossible to be logical when you are dealing with cancer. Tell your husband I am hoping for the best for him.

If he ever needs someone to talk to, I can talk. Talking to someone who has experienced what he has, who he doesn't have to worry about what is said, is very useful. I know when I was post-treatment, I did not want to tell my wife my darker thoughts, because I knew that this was traumatic for her also.

I had tonsil cancer back in 2008 and in looking at my notes, it took me about 13-14 months to get all my weight back. I was 222lbs when I started and went as low as 205 my last week of radiation treatment but I was pretty lasered focused as I didn't want a feeding tube.

You will get better.

Thank you so much. Ill
Pass this on to him. He did get his pet Ct last this week abs it was clear! We are very 😃

Did it take awhile for bloodwork to go back to normal? Some of my husband’s is low and some is elevated, there watching it. It’s been three months since last treatments. And he still is more tired, he’s older so it’s been hard.

With my blood work I had three things that needed to be monitored back in 2008.
1) My magnesium level was low so started taking a magnesium plus protein from my dietitian suggested.
2) My creatinine level was high but that was a combination to the chemo and my workout supplement I was taking so I stop my workout supplement and that went back to normal.
3) My red blood cell count was the lowest in the normal range and is even a little less today putting me outside the normal range, but my oncologist assures me it's not an issue as he says if needed it will spike and once again stated that to me back in March of this year when I was diagnosed with a different cancer.

You will get better.

@vickie1320 I am so happy for you both.

How long after treatments did you still feeling yourself and more energy, did it take awhile? Were you worried to have pet scan? That’s coming up for my husband and he’s worried.

Did it take awhile for you to have more energy and get back to normal?

Now I was age 39 back then and I was a very active person and avid weightlifter which I continued even during my treatments until week #7 (Radiation #30). Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Didn't start working out again for 5 weeks after that as I would even get tired going to my mailbox. Six weeks after that I went back to my job as I was out on short-term disability.
Hope this helps.

My son, at age 54 had stage 3 thyroid cancer diagnoses and underwent 33 radiation treatments and 5 or 6 weeks of chemo in 2019 and has yeat to get his taste back. He was told it could take a few months, or a year or so or maybe never. He drinks nutrition drinks and eats no food for all of these years and now just sits at home and has no energy, cannot even walk to his mailbox and refuses to go to the doctor and get checked out. He never married and lives alone with his cat. He was denied disability and he has always worked, has a college degree and was a bridge builder. He didn't tell us about his diagnoses until the last day of his radiation--didn't want to upset us and knew that we would look for the best treatment possible for him (Yes we would have). To see how healthy he was and how he is now breaks my heart, so I hope if anyone sees this post and tries to keep a diagnosis from a loved one, Please don't--they care so much about your well being and may be able to help you traverse the medical field and get you the best treatment available! Prayers and Hugs to all. Baz10