Throat Cancer Caregiver: What to expect after radiation?

Hi @debow1256 and welcome to Connect.
I'm not exactly sure where on the throat the radiation is being targeted however there are some general issues most of us have had to deal with at this stage in the treatment. The last week of radiation is likely the hardest for the patient to drag themselves back each day. For me I was becoming dehydrated and somewhat malnourished and then received an IV for fluids and vitamins, which helped considerably.
The patient likely will continue on the downhill slide for an additional two weeks after the end of radiation. You can expect many different side effects, such as extremely sore throat, phlegm and/or dry cough, pain when laughing (if laughing is possible) sore neck muscles, cramps in the neck and shoulders, nerve sensations, and many more. I always compare radiation effects to a roast in the oven: It continues to cook even after it has been taken from the heat. The healing is more akin to a burn than a standard injury and this burn is on the inside as well as the skin surface.
I don't want to scare you, just prepare you for the worst and hope for the best. It's a tough fight for certain but a winnable fight. The recovery will be two steps forward and one step back for weeks, months, and yes, years. We gage progress not day to day but are we better this week than last.
With every one of these I respond to I wish and pray that these cancers will be wiped out someday soon. No one should have to go through this, neither the patient nor the caregiver. We have made many advances just in the last twenty years so I hope this nightmare ends soon. Chin up and feel free to ask on this forum any questions as they arise. You have come to the right place where patients have answers from experience that often the doctors and nurses lack.
Can you include a bit of detail in any future response? Courage.

@debow1256, how are you and your husband doing? Is radiation finished now?

Hi @debow1256,
I am about 3 weeks post chemo/radiation and can only speak from my own experience. I was/am very fatigued, so sleep and rest are my best friends. I experienced dehydration throughout my treatment, resulting in very low blood pressure and the dizziness/faintness that accompanies it. The skin on my neck and face are healing, but that means itchiness- so hydrocortisone cream a couple of times a day helps (along with good moisturizer). I am still having a hard time concentrating, and will find myself "zoning out" for 15 or 20 minute intervals. The first two weeks after treatment I set an alarm and took 5 baby sips of water every 15 minutes. Now I can drink water just fine and started experimenting with some food (I got a feeding tube post-treatment). I'm sorry your person is going through this and hope that healing progresses well.

first off so sorry for the long response, and you are so on point, I do appreciate. my biggest concern, at this point, she had her 1st PET scan the surgery was on 12/04/2024 . It was wonderful!!! She has gone back to work then started to lose weight that I maintained through radiation (I might add) I know it's stress and depression from work, she can swallow and I encourage that, she went to speech therapy and they told her she was burning calories while she chewed, so is slowing down that, and I really feel I had her in a good place, I know you burn calories with anything you do but, really,, I feel like I've been misleading her

For nearly every case the same is said over and over, let her eat any and everything she desires. The body needs calories and protein to rebuild and repair.
Being the caregiver I think can be more difficult than being the patient. Count your wins and forget what didn’t work. We never had this training in school, except of course those who work in the healthcare field. You are doing fine.

WOOOW, I feel like I grew 3 heads, asked how many calories my girl should take in a day, I don't want to hear weeeeell, she burns calories when she chews, seriously, I'm not stupid, you burn around 10 calories an hour chewing gum, I'm a retired nurse and I did graduate, oncology said her throat is open enough to swallow, speech therapy said no, she's burning calories while she chews, know again my progress has been shot down. it's very frustrating 😑 that she gets so upset because she don't know who to believe. Dr said to have her chew, speech therapy said not to let her chew. I'm like WHAT!!!!! can we all get on the same page PLEASE 🙏 the progress I have made has been shot down, I feel witch way do we go George witch way do we go!!!!!! she has been my best friend going on 40yrs, I moved from Florida to New York to care for her. so I have dug into every step, but this, as a caregiver is definitely not getting her to gain weight, my big goal right now, OK don't know if im venting or begging for help to get an idea on how to get her to understand that the g-tube will not come out unless she can chew and swallow without it, she has come such a long way, I don't feel adding pressure unnecessary to her, or myself, because again she needs some normal, to get to a good place, and I might add as I said to speech therapy, you burn calories while you breathe, blink, and think so how do I break this down???? thank-you, Deb