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Getting frustrated with throat pain post radiation
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 11 minutes ago | Replies (84)Comment receiving replies
I had 25 radiation treatments and surgery (tonsil and lymph nodes). No chemo. I'm 4 months out from my last radiation treatment. I had no feeding tube and it was rough, but I'm happy now I didn't have one. I can tell you the worst has been the side effects of radiation. I have had some tastes come back, but not like I was hoping. I get to taste something and on the second bite it's gone. I can't taste sweets very well at all, which may be a good thing? I lost about 20 pounds and I'm slowly gaining it back. I go to PT and have my neck heavily worked my a great therapist. I'm improving a lot compared to the others I'm reading about. The other comments I read frankly scare the crap out of me. My heart goes out to them all. I have a small ball in my throat I attribute to radiation fibrosis. I'm trying hard to work that away with massage. My best time is the morning and as the day lingers on my throat becomes little sore and voice starts to fade. Right now, compared to others, I'm not complaining.
Replies to "I had 25 radiation treatments and surgery (tonsil and lymph nodes). No chemo. I'm 4 months..."
@harleytiger
Keep the faith and take it one day at a time. Believe me I know it’s not easy (I’m one month post surgery and radiation) and I see small improvements week to week. Wish I was “back to normal “ yesterday but that’s not realistic and patience is key.
Stay positive mentally, get some exercise and rest when you’re feeling tired…you will get better!
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@harleytiger It looks like you are doing everything you can to overcome the damage from the radiation. It does take time, more time than you might think.
What others go though might not necessarily be what you have to deal with. I agree that all the info out there can scare the crap out of you however, we usually only hear the worst from patients. A few report little to no issues at all. I know of a few who didn't make it past the first year and I know a several who were back to normal more or less in two months. We are all unique. We don't all get a diagnosis at the same stage in the disease. Men especially seem to hold off getting looked at by a physician until they reach a point where the issue interferes with life. When treatment begins in those cases it is often very late and results in massive damage.
As for you sir, I believe you are doing just fine.