Wendy - congrats! You've been through the worst and now it's time to recover. As I remember it, what you're going through is perfectly normal. I too was on Fentanyl patches the last few weeks of rads, plus oxycodone. My mouth and throat were a sea of blisters. Even getting the liquid nutrition down was a nightmare. So rest assured you're no loony... at least no more than the rest of us knuckleheads!

Do you have liquid lidocaine to numb your mouth? I found it essential. And yeah - I lost 30 pounds during rads and had no desire for real food for months. I lived on ensure and boost. As Cougardad says, patience is the key. Think about how much better you'll feel in a week, in a month, in six months and on. It takes time but you will get there, guaranteed. As many here have experienced, the first month after rads is often just as bad if not a little worse than the actual treatment. So just set your mind to getting through the next little bit!

We're all pulling for you!!



David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 15 years all clear in 6/24 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18