Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Don,
Are you also having chemo? If so, what type and frequency.
With just the rad, you will most likely:
1. Soon loose your taste which will take months post Tx to return;
2. Begin to get real sore in the mouth/throat area and will not be able to tolerate solid foods;
3. Be sensitive to cold liquids;
4. Be on pain meds which can cause nausea;
5. Feel tired and weak;
6. Start to produce thick mucous which eventually turns into dry mouth that will take months post Tx to recover;
7. Will loose facial hair and the hair on the back of your neck some of which will slowly return post Tx and some of which will not;
8. Begin to develope sunburn like conditions on the outside of your neck where the rad goes in;
9. Develope mouth sores;
10. Loose your appetite;
11. Become nauseated.
They tell us that everyone can react differently to the Tx but you will probably experience most, if not all of these side effects. Some will begin shortly and some will come later. Some will go away within weeks after your Tx ends and some will take much longer to resolve. Your docs need to know everything that you experience so that they may prescribe appropriate meds. Some meds may not work or may produce worse side effects so let them know that to.
It is extremely important to keep yourself well hydrated and nourished. Ask your docs how much water and calories they want you to consume daily. This will most likely be your biggest challenge.
Hope this proves helpful.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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