Your tips for recovery after 35 radiation treatments for tonsil cancer

@dragonfire I'm sorry you are struggling with the side effects of the treatment. I am 5 years out and am still impacted by a few of side effects. Over this time, I have realized that while they are a negative influence on my life, the alternative was dying and not getting to meet my grandchildren, spend wonderful years in retirement with my wife, enjoy time with friends golfing and so many more things. Try to keep focused on the good that these treatments have allowed. Over time, the impacts of side effects will lessen, and if they don't, you'll get better at dealing with them.

Hang in there. Almost done. I know this is the worst thing you have done in your life. By years end you will be on the mend. For now, take it day to day. You can do this.

Hey, I'm in your same boat. I'm just a few days over a month out on my 25 rounds of radiation for HPV tonsil cancer. Last night my wife and I went out for Mexican Food at one of our favorite restaurants. I had the beef enchiladas, beef taco, rice and bean. I ate the whole plate along with a 16oz beer and two small bowls of salsa. My taste buds are starting to come around. I was never given a feeding tube so I know the whole soup and scrambled eggs routine. You forgot oatmeal and Cream of Wheat. Warm Green Tea helped a lot in the mornings. Now I'm back to coffee. I've been eating normal food since a week after my last radiation treatment. I forced myself to eat. It gets better so don't be so down on yourself. It could be much worse.

@harleytiger
I have changed my attitude and am tired of living in a hospital like environment. My medication is gone. I am making small changes to my creamed soup and intend to have what I term "a bite of night" which means trying a small bite of whatever the family is eating. I have decided I will have to make myself well. I will do a little every day this week and tell my health team when I meet them on Thursday. If I could get rid of my sore tongue that would help a lot but hopefully soon. I am going to start full days working instead of half days starting tomorrow. My goal is to devour everything in sight come Thanksgiving.

@dragonfire Those tongue sores are the worst. Much like a hot needle yet the actual sores are barely visible. I found warm salt water rinses worked well, even when I had to do it hourly some days. Hang in there.

@harleytiger Mexican already? I bow to you sir. The beer of course I believe is good for digestion, else why would the doctors in the military recommend that when recovering from digestion issues? Good to hear you are on the mend.

@dragonfire You know what helped me the the mouth issues? My wife read somewhere on one of our pages of literature that L-Glutamine Powder mouth wash helps. So, she found Now Sports L-Glutamine Powder on Amazon. I used a teaspoon in a 8 oz glass with warm water and gargled. That really helped I believe. Now I'm adding it to my smoothie's. I also drank warm Green Tea in the mornings. Then through out the day I gargled with salt water and Baking Soda and water. I think it helped the healing and breaking up the thick mucous. Dry mouth was and still is a big pain in the ass, but it's getting better. The radiation fibrosis is a pain as well. I'm constantly moving my neck around trying to loosen that up. I'm going to beat this and I'm going to get back to normal as fast as I can. If you have a Chinese Food place near you order some egg soup, but get back to eating despite it has no taste, or it tastes different than you're used to. Eat it anyway. My wife keeps telling me to have patience and allow yourself time to heal, but I'm not a patient man.

@harleytiger

I am NOT a patient man for sure. I like the egg soup idea a lot. Everyone says be patient but going through this hell since August I don't have patience. The tongue pain just sucks. I found some neck exercises online which helped my neck. I got through a baked potato and a can of Campbell's vegetable beef and that was a major improvement. I know these are baby steps but better than no steps.

@hrhwilliam

Whenever this hell heals enough Mexican food is on top of my list. However, right now best I can do is soup but beats cream of wheat. I am 20 days since my last treatment and oncologist told me I am progressing well. I am dealing with positive days and negative days felt better 2 days ago than today. However, I just started back to work full time. I just hate not being able to eat just hate it. I believe I am better than I was 19 days ago because that was EXTREMELY PAINFUL. I am working on adding foods and protein I can tolerate tired of ENSURE. I would not wish this hell on my worst enemy.

@hrhwilliam

My oncologist told me I am making good progress but the tongue area will heal in time. It might help to be a patient person but I am not. I just hope everyday I feel somewhat better. I am have worked hard to adjust my attitude but that is a struggle with this hell. My tongue feels swollen but does not look that way. My oncologist is keeping me on oxycodone to use when the pain gets too difficult. However, I only use the minimum dose because next to hating not eating I hate medications. I am trying different ways to get 2,000 calories a day and increase my protein. I know that without nutrition I will not heal. Today is a down day maybe due to being tired since I just started back to work full time yesterday. Through all of this I have been working half days to maintain the little sanity I have left. This support group has helped me realize others have gone through this same hell and survived. I guess the slow journey to healing is the pathway but is it damm slow.