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HPV Tonsil cancer: I'm very nervous about chemo and radiation
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 8 hours ago | Replies (72)Comment receiving replies
@jonesja I am so worried that my taste buds are toasted. Food is horrible, nothing tastes the way it should. The metallic tastes have gone away, but now it seems the food I know and love is horrible. I keep reading your post and hoping I have the same outcome. I'm almost two weeks out from my 25 rounds of radiation. I had HPV cancer in my right tonsil. I have very little appetite and thick saliva. I gargle all the time with different remedies suggested by the oncologist. I have to drink water constantly. Can I ask when you started to taste food again? was it 3, 6, or 9 months out? Patience is not one of my strongest points. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up and I have no tastes. I was hoping to have something I can live with in a few months.
Replies to "@jonesja I am so worried that my taste buds are toasted. Food is horrible, nothing tastes..."
@harleytiger From what I have read and what I experienced the peak of pain/symptoms was about 2-3 weeks AFTER radiation treatment was over. Then the slow climb back to somewhat normal taste, swallowing, eating foods you like, etc. My guess was about 3 months I could get faint tastes and saliva production was getting better and not so thick. It was about a year before most all of my taste was back and Saliva pretty good. AND yes your taste buds are toasted. Thats what the radiation does unfortunately as it kills the cancer cells. I would think by Christmas you will be about to taste. It started with my tasting for a few bites and then fading through the meal. Try to be patience as It is a slow process.
I just saw this now. It's been about a year since I was in your shoes. I think for me the awful taste was what was hardest for me...I threw at least a couple temper tantrums over it. It took several months, but my taste eventually did come back to normal. At this point, I don't tolerate spicy foods well, but otherwise everything tastes the way I remember they always did. Hang in there, once you get through it you'll adjust to the life changes and they won't seem so bad, and you'll appreciate the things that return to normal all the more. God bless.
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@harleytiger
At two weeks I finally was able to taste chicken soup, and primarily the salt. In a month or two things should be improving a lot taste wise.
I know this whole cancer battle has just wrecked your year, your plans, your life for now. Give it time. Measure improvement week to week rather than day to day. Next year should be a whole lot better although likely you won't be 100% by then and maybe never will be again. We call that a new normal and we get used to it. You have cheated death and in the long run you will be stronger for it.
We all heal from this differently and at different rates, but we heal. You will heal. In the meantime we are here to help you along.