My husband was diagnosed in Dec. 2001 with squamous cell carcinoma at the base of the tongue(stage 4)and lymph nodes. He has now completed 39 radiation treatments and 2 rounds of chemo. The last treatment was 4 weeks ago. He is scheduled for a selective neck disection on April 22, 2002. The doctors are pleased with the results of treatment...the tumor has shrunk and the also the nodes. He still is not feeling very well and it seems he takes 2 steps forward and then 1 back every few days. He continues to have very thick saliva in his throat and needs to hack it up frequently. Sometimes this process is very hard on him and I see traces of blood in it. Has anyonelse had this and does it go away? He still is using the feeding tube, but tries to eat when he can now. They will also stretch his esophagous when they do the neck disection..that may help his swallowing a little. Any advice or information will be much appreciated. Thanks.
Tell your husband to hang in there, things will get better, but it does take time. My husband had stage IV tonsil cancer with mets to lymphs. After radiation it took him about four months before he really started feeling better. The thick saliva does goes away; we thought it never would, but it did. My husband is about a year and half past radiation and is back to feeling great. Hang in there, things will get better.
Julie
Yes, the thick saliva does go away. Joe had cancer very similar to your husband's, his last radiation treatment was on 9/11/01, and it seem that he hacked and coughed up thick saliva for days afterwards. It has been over 6 months since radiation, and everynow and then he will notice the thick saliva like substance, but it is almost gone. He is still on his feeding tube, and has started very slowly back with solid foods. Joe was very fortunate and did not have to have surgery, as the chemo and radiation took care of his cancer. It really sounds like your husband is doing great. The best medicine is a positive outlook. Take each day as it comes, some days will be really hard, but there are good days. Today, Joe told me how great he was feeling, and he said it was so great to have more good days now than not so good days. Hang in there, you and your husband both are on the right track to win this battle.
Echo
Thanks for all the info. This is the most helpful site I've been to. How soon can he expect to have more good days than bad? Of course surgery is scheduled for 4/22, so I supose that will be somewhat of a set back. He getting really discouraged; thinks he is never going to feel good again. Does everyone think that? Our 7 year old grandson was hospitalized this week with a serious infection and that has drained us as well. Thanks for any and all thoughts.
In the last 3 years I've only talked with two people who didn't become depressed about the slow rate at which their lives came back to normal. Radiation and surgery really beat you up, and it seems like it is always something, that is setting your progress back. The weakness, the pain, the saliva issues, the drugs, the Candida outbreaks in my mouth, the mucositis, the diarrhea, the stomach cramps, and the list goes on and on. Is it any wonder that people become depressed? Six months after radiation and surgery my mental state was in the dumpster. The high power drugs were depressive, and I didn't even recognize the signs of real clinical depression. This isn't about feeling down or sad; this is a real biological/psychological issue. I finally started taking antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and the combination of those and getting off of the pseudo-morphines started to help. But we are talking 8 months out from treatment before I gave up the idea of putting my head in the oven, and started to actually live my life again. Then the physical challenge of building my body back up was next on the list. Santa Fe has an old plaza in the center of town. At first my wife and I would walk one side of the square, after which I was physically done. Then two sides, and finally a few weeks later I made it all the way around. It was then that I knew I would come back. But it is a long process, and I do not believe there is any way to speed it up. Just try to keep him looking towards the future and the good times that are ahead. It eventually does get better.
The thick salvia is a problem, that's for sure. My radiation/chemo days were last Jun/July 2001, with the modified neck dissection in Oct 2001. I used a suction machine as often as a baby uses a pacifier! I remember being so worried about the Oct surgery because I knew I'd wake up hacking up that stuff after laying on my back in the OR for a couple hours. I must have driven the ENT and his nurse crazy as I'd go over this worry time and again with them. As it turned out, that didn't happen. Then miraculously the amount of 'gunk' decreased. I still have it, but I can swallow it with water easily. I notice that it's built up overnight, cuz it still needs (forgive me for being gross) hacked up when I'm using my waterpik in the morning. I still am afraid to sleep on my back because of it, but I should try again I suppose.
Thick spit was a big problem for me too. It did get better, but it felt like it never would. I gargled with warm salt water when it didn't hurt.
I had more trouble with my tongue and still do sometimes. My chemo/radiation was over in Nov.2001. Getting my strength back and feeling good enough to work again are the two uppermost things on my mind. Still have trouble with the lack of saliva, but that is a small price to pay. Have a big turkey gobbler neck (haha), I laugh about it now. My hair is getting better and life is getting brighter. My thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Well, Steve had his lymph nodes and some muscle on the right side of his neck removed on April 22. Recovery is slow, but coming along. We noticed that the need to spit all of the time has decreased since the surgery. (they also stretched his ephosagus at the same time) The staples come out tomorrow, so perhaps that will help with the pain. We're anxious to get the pathology reports on the nodes. He is trying to eat more by mouth now and we haven't used the tube for about 10 days except for meds. Corn flakes with banannas are his favorite. If he mentions anything at all that he thinks sounds good, we give it a try. Some work, some don't. Thanks to everyone for all of the good info.