Hi Erik,

Wow! I'm impressed and perhaps a little jealous that you're eating now so close from finishing treatments! I had a total glossectomy a year ago TODAY (yes, TODAY!) and I only started eating "real" food last month. I know about the constant battle of getting the food down and what use to be such an enjoyable, every day task is now sometimes a chore. But even though it's only been a month for me, I find that I'm eating just about anything I want except for things like cheetos, bread and other "dry" foods. I admit that I drink a LOT of water with eat swallow but even that is coming down in volume. I'm still experimenting with what works best, what slides down best and what has at least some sense of flavor. Some things still taste like cardboard, but even that is getting better. I haven't been brave enough to eat in front of anybody (don't want to gross them out in case I gag, choke or bring it back up) and still stay close to the kitchen sink when I'm eating "just in case." Hang in there Erik - you're doing a great job and hopefully with time, practice, and patience it will get better for both of us.

I'll be thinking of you while I eat my dinner tonight!

Nancy

Hi Erik,
I am 18 moths out from treatment and have a hard time eating. I try all different kinds of food with various rates of success. I lost my wife to lung cancer and have recently started dating. It is difficult to avoid going out to eay, and this has become a real challange for me. At best I am not a great conversationalist, now it is much more trying. I do not enjoy food still dining is a social activity and I try. There are a few meals that are easiest for me to handle and I usually go for one of them when I first eat out with some one. I find that overall I am adding items to my can do list. However, every so often I seem to regress and it is depressing. It is nice that many people have progressed much faster than I have, it gives me hope. I hope you regain some ability more rapidly than I did. Just don't give up.

Erik, The coughing fits used to bother me a great deal at first. Now they are not a problem at all. things do get better. If my memory is working it was less of a problem by 6 months or so.