recovery after 35 radiation treatments

Your Treatments are over, now you start to heal. From what other people have said, it takes a while to get back to normal, each day you improve . Please hang in there ,you will feel better and a few months from now you can look back and see just how strong you are. I know it's frustrating but you can and will get much better! Keep updating your journey to full health. Your cancer is gone!

@dragonfire I do understand your suffering and frustration. I went through that 13 years ago, and I wouldn't be around if I hadn't done that treatment. Every week of radiation was damaging more tissue as it was the cancer cells. Now at the end, it does take a long time to feel improvements because they are tiny little steps toward healing. Some days you backslide, but from week to week you are getting better. Don't look for day to day improvements but think about how you felt last week and the week before. That way you can see just how far you are progressing. This is the worst time in the process, but give yourself a break and know that from here it gets better, just slowly. It sure helps to be an optimist during this stage. Stick with foods you can swallow and slowly add in new soft things. I lived on smoothies and mashed potatoes and Cream of Wheat. Chocolate didn't even taste good to me and that was a killer. Talk to your medical team about addressing the pain issues. I found oral lidocaine gel helpful right before eating and that is prescription. Don't forget about the numbing effects of ice chips and even an ice pack on the neck.
A year from now you will look back and see that your new normal is much better than what life is like now. Yes it is a hellish experience, but I believe it is better than dying of cancer. I bet that in a month you will be seeing significant improvement. It took me about 8-9 months to be back on a more normal diet and that happened gradually. Some foods will just not taste right for a long time but be patient and know it does get better.
As hard as it is, find something small each day to be grateful for as that helps to improve your attitude.

@lizzyj58
I appreciate your response I just want real food so bad. I have ulcers in my mouth causing pain and I am using the salt and soda rinse. My wife even is frustrated that I can't eat. I get tired in the afternoon so I sleep a couple hours. I get tired of being in the house but I don't' want to catch germs in the store. I don't need any more problems. I just feel so alone I used to have my dog for company but lost him to kidney disease in April. I glad I can work part days I was going to retire but I feel now needing the comfort of the job to continue working. This just seems like and endless wheel of small improvements, limited food, medication and a constant sore mouth.
I feel like a made a huge mistake having the treatment especially when I researched other treatments that are not so long. No one said I would experience all this that I question if surgery would have been better. But it is too late now and the damage is done all I hope for is improvement.

@sepdvm
I appreciate your response I just want real food so bad. I have ulcers in my mouth causing pain and I am using the salt and soda rinse. My wife even is frustrated that I can't eat. I get tired in the afternoon so I sleep a couple hours. I get tired of being in the house but I don't' want to catch germs in the store. I don't need any more problems. I just feel so alone I used to have my dog for company but lost him to kidney disease in April. I glad I can work part days I was going to retire but I feel now needing the comfort of the job to continue working. This just seems like and endless wheel of small improvements, limited food, medication and a constant sore mouth.
I feel like a made a huge mistake having the treatment especially when I researched other treatments that are not so long. No one said I would experience all this that I question if surgery would have been better. But it is too late now and the damage is done all I hope for is improvement.
I experienced dry heaves one night when a scramble egg did not go down right that sucked.
I am sleeping with a cool mist humidifier at night to give my mouth moisture don't know if that is making things worse or not.
My health care team nurse suggested JUVEN and told me it works very well to help heal from the inside out. My order just arrived so I will start it.
My life the past year has been a soap opera and then to discover I have this and all this requires. I cry each day over this. I am not by nature a patient person and dealing with this has me at wits end.

I know it feels just awful right now but each week you will see some improvement, just hang in there. Hopefully Juven will work well for you. My husband had his tonsil with tumor removed last Wed, it`s not an easy procedure and now he is facing 6 weeks of radiation and possibly 3 chemo treatments as there is a tumor in one lymph node. It`s ok to be upset about all that is going on with you , try to remember that this is temporary , you will get better and you are cancer free.

@lizzyj58
I hope since Thanksgiving is 6 weeks away maybe I can eat something by then. I am doing all the health team told me but feeling this poorly after all this time has me deeply frustrated and upset. The pills, dry mouth, mouth sores and the constipation just are over whelming. I am 69 and even being a man this situation and pain and the way this has impacted my life brings me to tears just so hard. The only comfort I have is working part time since I can work from home. I question every day why I gave in to this procedure. I have tried to be more positive which is very difficult joining this support group was a step for me. I have to gain weight back since I have dropped 20 pounds. I am going to adopt making milk shakes, taking protein powder and eating canned soup when possible.

I had throat cancer (piraform sinus) 15 years ago and had 35 radiations and 3 chemos. I had to use a feeding tube and was depressed like you are. You are still eating somewhat; I continued to eat through a feeding tube four months later! I then got the tube removed and by another 3 months was pretty much back to normal. You will get back to normal and someday scold yourself for saying “you wish you never would have done this.” What was the alternative? Just wait to die? I know you feel like crap but I was much worse than you are and I am still here.

Unfortunately, a little over a year ago I got 16 base of toungue cancer. I had wonderful Dr. Van Abel use the robot and she cut it out and I had a left side neck dissection. Fortunately, no chemo or radiation were used. It was rough again with the swallowing/coughing but I am pretty close to where I was before (food kind of sits where the “divot” is where the tumor was removed but a little water and down it goes). I hated to go through all that again but AGAIN I am pretty much back to normal.

Take it from a TWO time cancer “winner”….you will get back to normal! God bless you!😀

@dragonfire My husband is also 69. Maybe try jello, puddings, ice cream? There is a mouthwash that can be given and a cream for skin. Humidifier? Think how bad you felt 2 weeks ago, you feel a little better now, keep thinking ahead, it will get better .

@mikeswen

I appreciate your support and feel for your experience nobody should have to go through this living hell especially twice. I am trying to be positive but this is damm hard. I ordered the Juven from my nurse on my support team told me to get she really believes in it. The dry heaves the other night painful and scared me. I am by nature not very positive but this is forcing me into a new mind set. The pain, dry mouth and the constipation are difficult to manage. I don't know what I would do if I could not work part days it helps me focus on something other than my issues. Thank you so much stay in touch.

@lizzyj58

Yes, one of my doctors recommended the humidifier and to sleep as close as possible to it.

I am currently living on scrambled egg, creamed soup, jell, pudding and ice cream along with protein powder got tired of ensure.

I am frustrated with the dry mouth, pain, constipation and medications. I get tired in the afternoons needing to sleep.

The weekends are the worst I look forward to work on Monday.

Thank you for your kind support.