Welcome to OCF!

At 4 months post rads you are still in the recovery phase. Most patients are doing fairly well and have made significant progress at 4-6 month post rads. But, recovery is a looonnnggggg process! Patients will continue making small improvements thru about the 2 year mark. These improvements are mostly in sense of taste and dry mouth.

Being 4 months post rads, your resistance is still low. Many patients have low white counts for many months post rads, moreso with patients who had chemo with their rads.

Until at the very least the first year post rads your body is working overtime trying to rebuild itself. This means you have more calories being burned up at a faster rate. For at least the first year post rads you should have a diet of increased calories of at least 2500 and water intake of 48-64 oz daily. Check with your doc about a diet higher in protein or adding high protein whey powder to help speed your healing.

Hang in there!!! The very worst of this is behind you. I know how frustrating the long slow recovery phase can be. After going thru so much, none of us can get better fast enough. Until you hit the 2 year mark you still will see improvements, probably smaller changes but still you will continue to bounce back.

Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile