Lorie,

I just got your email. I will respond privately.THanks
Stephany

Sorry Dizier. I figured out who Lori was and who you were and I emailed you both. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the posts. Please check your email.

God Bless
Stephany

Hi Stephany,
I'm glad your Mom has her treatment plan now,
and I will be thinking of you both during this scary time, hearing the "C" word and the treatment plan. It is such a shock to get the diagnosis, and the treatment.

Thank you for your warm response, it really helps to share this experience with others who are going through it now too.

Your mom can do the 2 parts baking soda, to 1 part salt to 4 parts water rinses now to help prevent yeast infection. In my dads case, I think brushing got so painful that he may have skipped sometimes, and the food particles and drinks left in the mouth may have contributed to the yeast infection. He's now using the smallest softest toothbrush we can find. Also during the first couple of weeks, his wife was making him the high protein smoothie shakes with lots of fresh/frozen fruit and the sugar helps the yeast grow. Another mode of prevention is yogurt with live cultures, and you can "kick it up a notch" with acidophulus, eaten daily. Our pharmacist advised to hold this in the mouth to prevent yeast and ease burning and soreness. Using a humidifier is helping my dad with the dry mouth that comes with radiation.

I'm so glad we also share faith, that is what is really getting me through this. I'll be praying for you and your mom Stephany, I wish nobody had to ever go through this, but I'm glad there's a way we can help each other.

HI Dell,
I am so glad to see someone else who posts information about yeast infections!

May I ask for you to check the formula for the rinse? It seems to me the mix you have mentioned would end up as a salty paste not a rinse.

My oncologist had me mixing something like 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp. soda and a glass of water but I can't find the exact mix.

Thanks

Regarding the rinse mix, I think Mark is correct. I used to mix that in sport bottles I kept in the fridge, so I could just squirt that into my sore mouth, bypassing the sore lips. Great stuff, cures many ills. At one point it was suggested I add a little hydrogen peroxide. Whatever benefit that might have had, the taste was terrible enough that I discontinued that PDQ.

The mixture I suggested would be pasty wouldn't it?! Gosh; I wonder where my mind is these days!
My dad was told 1/4 tsp soda to 1/8 teaspoon salt to 4 oz. of water.

Thanks for spotting the problem with the recipe Mark, sounds more like a solution for bee stings!
Lol!

I've borrowed the following info from this link, I hope it's ok to post it here.
http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/supportivecare/oralcomplications/patient/

Cleansing agents can include "salt and soda" (1/2 tsp. salt and 2 Tbs. of sodium bicarbonate in 32 oz. of warm water), normal saline, sterile water, or sodium bicarbonate (1 tsp. in 8 oz of water). Hydrogen peroxide diluted in equal amounts of water or weak salt water can be used when crusting is present. (This should be used for 1 or 2 days only because it will keep mucositis from healing.)

A salt and baking soda solution neutralizes acids and dissolves thick saliva.

Thank You Deb!

That is good information and I'll keep the other formula for the bee stings this summer (if we ever get summer...global warming my a--! -30F two mornings in a row and the kids home 4 out of 5 days this week because of weather!)

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for the posts regarding the drink mix. I have printed out your suggestions. My mom doesnt start radiation until March or so. But, I am going to use all this information. Thanks so much.

I have a question though to everyone. My mom is not going to do the surgery to remove the other half (whats left of her jaw) jaw bone. She is going to do the surgery to remove the tumor and replace her gum tissue with tissue from her hip and then will start radiation. Has anyone make this option?

Thanks again and God Bless you All!
Stephany

Stephany, in a partial answer to your question, I had a tumor removed and the surrounding tissue with it, then a graft was taken from my arm, along with a vein, and someone with very small hands stitched that into my mouth to cover the resulting hole. I am amazed that arm skin turned into gum skin so completely that I have trouble identifying exactly where the graft was -- and it was pretty large. This was done about five weeks prior to the commencement of rad and chemo. And I am here to tell about it, so you know it worked just peachy keen! It is my understanding that any surgery involving grafts takes a very long time. I went in before daylight, and when I awoke in recovery, it was night.

Joanna,

Thank you for your post. I have taken a while to get back to everyone because I have been so busy. Sorry about that.

I am so happy that you have healed. My moms surgery is in three weeks and I am very nervous. She already did this once. They took bone from her leg and made a jaw and took tissue before for her gum. They are going to remove the tumor and then take tissue from her hip and make gums. Then, she has to do 6 weeks of radiation. I am more scared of the radiation because She has never done that before and the sweet supportive people in this web site have been telling me what to expect. The side effects seem very extreme.

Joanna, I hope you are feeling well now and thanks for your support. God Bless YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Stephany