Hi;

I haven't posted in a while. I've now finished chemo (did two high-dose Cisplatin and one dose of Carboplatin). They switched me to carboplatin due to aggressive tinnitus following the Cisplatin. Radiation is also finished.

So, after the surgery, chemo, radiation, I'm thankful to be recovering at home. I've become a bit emaciated and am having trouble with ensure. I managed one bottle yesterday, but nothing else. I'm really getting a bit worried about my food intake. I have stocked freezers, etc, here; so having the food is not an issue. My biggest problem for the last week (after the end of treatment) has been a total lack of appetite. I've a lot of saliva (5 out of six glands are fine), but it's really thick. I can no longer spit (following the surgery), so if I try to get rid of it, its a ten minute (semi-spitting, mucousy blob, that I have to coax out). Swallowing stuff like ensure through that is awful.

I think I slept for two days when treatment came to an end and am slowly waking up now. They did not give me a peg or g-tube, so I have to ingest through the mouth. How long for appetitie and desire to eat to return?

I think otherwise I'm healing - my voice is returning to normal (ish) (considering), I will not be able to get my teeth replaced until February/March at the earliest. At my final checkout they were quite certain that the cancer was gone, but I need to get back the 30 or so pounds I've lost. Energy levels are also really low.



Drew.