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Head & neck radiation side effects continue, especially swelling
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Sep 17 9:00am | Replies (30)Comment receiving replies
I was told a month for every week of treatment (in terms of going back to work) so for many that would be 6 months. However, the radiation is meant to go on working for a couple of weeks after the end of treatment so the 6 week measure could mean an end to the immediate effects? Solidarity again!
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That makes a lot of sense. It's never been explained to me that way, but a month for each week is absolutely more realistic sounding than 6 to 8 weeks altogether. The immediate effects did start to clear up after a few weeks initially so maybe that is what he meant but that's not how he presented it. My original release for work said I'd be out for 6 to 8 weeks after treatment ended. But here we are almost 12 weeks out and I'm actually starting to have a recurrence of radiation side effects and I'm nowhere near physically ready to return to work. I have blisters on my tongue again, I'm constantly fatigued, my taste is all wacky again...I just don't understand why these things that had gone away are coming back as if I'm actively being treated and have brought all this swelling with them. The only radiation side effect that hasn't started happening again is hair loss. But it also hasn't started to grow back in some areas.