Extremely tired 6 weeks after finishing treatments chemo and radiatin

Thank you Mojo!
He is weaning himself off the hydromorphone and a phone call into our oncology team about it or a lower dosage.how long before your throat didn't hurt? He struggles with every swallow.... we have the mouthwash which helps a bit temporarily.
Take care and love your great attitude! Its hard with so many changes post treatments.

It's different for everyone. I went through the same procedure in 06, followed by surgery 3 months later. I lost 40 lbs., and a co-worker called me a shadow of myself. My wife made sure I put it back on by baking bread, though my shirts became too big while my pants became too tight. I recall it taking nearly a year before I started getting my energy back. Recovery isn't fun, and there are long term consequences to the treatment. My brother underwent treatment for colon cancer the next year and he was able to run circles around me. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. So, I would suggest your husband be patient with himself, be forgiving of the changes, and be thankful for the time the two of you have together ahead.

Hi Nancy- I would agree with everyone that pain meds generally add to malaise...I finished treatment 7 weeks of radiation and 7 weekly chemo sessions mid January, 2024. I started a transition into eating by mouth (liquids and purees) mid February, gently getting off pain meds by mid March, and finally eating more variety by mouth by mid April...very small portions and a lot of chewing. I worked with a speech therapist to strengthen my swallowing muscles. I had a dilation to straighten out a kink in my esophagus. My feeding tube was removed at the beginning of June. Physical and mental stamina took months and patience and mindfulness to come back. Residual mouth/throat pain and neck lymphedema become easier to deal with as time passes. By September I was swimming and riding waves in the Atlantic ocean with brothers and sisters, by October I was planning two family Christmas gatherings (maybe 30-40 ppl each), and by November 'caretaking' my sister after her back surgery for a couple of weeks (we laughed about who's taking care of who?!!). Gradually I just was able to do more and WANTED to do more! I could always count on being outdoors walking in nature and enjoying the company of family and friends to boost my mood and put having cancer in its' proper perspective: we beat it and I can do hard stuff...and life is a treasure to enjoy 🙂

Hi nancy101,
I had 35 rounds (7 weeks) of Photon radiation for a total of 70Gy and 3 rounds of cisplatin chemo for tonsil cancer back in 2008 but no surgery and I did research then and found in an England Journal of Medicine that honey could help soothe the throat pain from the mouth sores/ulcers you will get. I did shots of real honey not the ones you find in your local grocery store which most all are synthetic and don’t have the same benefits. It definitely took some of the edge off for me.

I would only use Manuka honey which you can find on Amazon that scores at least UMF 15+ and MGO rating of 500+ are considered potent enough for medicinal use- UMF ranges from 10 to 25, the higher the rating, the more potent the benefits are, and of course, the more expensive, the honey. In addition, I heard very good things about Red Light therapy, which uses infrared light from a wand in the throat has worked well for many.

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey.

Thank you for your wonderful suggestions .
I did buy local honey and he said it was too thick and sweet going down...I'll try again !!
Red light yes I've had been treated with that for arthritis a few years back ....
Thanks again and take care,
Nancy

Thank you! He has a high protein/calorie plus mini ensure drink 375 calories but struggles drinking 3 a day. I will check out Kate farm ... He doesn't have much of an appetite if any and throat is sore .
Thank you for reaching out and I hope you heal quickly. Take care... one day at a time...

I wouldn't use local honey. From my research I would only use MANUKA honey (it's from New Zealand) which you can find on Amazon that scores at least UMF 15+ and MGO rating of 500+ are considered potent enough for medicinal use- UMF ranges from 10 to 25, the higher the rating, the more potent the benefits are, and of course, the more expensive, the honey. In addition, the higher the rating the thinner the honey and better tasting- I use UMF 18+ and 700+ even now for many health benefits it offers and my most recent cancer treatments I received.

I wouldn't use local honey. From my research I would only use MANUKA honey (it's from New Zealand) which you can find on Amazon that scores at least UMF 15+ and MGO rating of 500+ are considered potent enough for medicinal use- UMF ranges from 10 to 25, the higher the rating, the more potent the benefits are, and of course, the more expensive, the honey. In addition, the higher the rating the thinner the honey and better tasting- I use UMF 18+ and 700+ even now for many health benefits it offers and my most recent cancer treatments I received.