Today is my husbands last radiation/ treatment day!!
Very happy he's done very good side the mucus it's been terrible and still is so I'm hoping that gets better along with his healing time!!
We saw the rads Dr. Yesterday Monday ) and he said the tumor had responded very well to radiation he said it looked amazing in their and the tonsils looked good that was great to hear .. I could not wait to post that he's finished with this step I didn't know coming into this that it would be so hard on him and I both
Next is the getting over this part .. Over the part where he's felt baked from the radiation ,, he can start to rest and focus on getting better even tho we know we still have some time to heal !! It's still great to have this part behind us the two hour drive from home and two hour drive back home (I won't miss at all ) we will come back next week to see the dr . He just wants to see how the neck is healing I'm sure we will still make the drive once a month or sooner till the dr . Fills Larry's ok I'm not sure when the peg! Will come out ? I'm assuming it will be when Larry can swallow foods again he's done so well with swallowing water he's not quit even if it's just a little he is still taking some down .. We're using the peg for fluids and will continue too,, for now,,

Congrats!!! Boy I bet the weight of the world is off your shoulders now without having to spend 4 hours a day in a car. This will make things much easier on you both.

Keep your focus on his intake. He still needs the daily minimums of at least 2500+++ calories and 48-64 oz of water daily. This needs to continue (at the least) until he hits the one year post rads mark.

Dont be surprised if you dont see any improvements for a while. The rads are still working just like he is still going to get zapped. The next few weeks are the hardest, so be watchful for any setbacks like dehydration, excessive fatigue, etc. About 3 weeks from now the worst will be almost over and recovery will start. Its a slow and frustrating time for most of us patients. We all want to be better the day after finishing rads but it simply doesnt happen that way. A complete recovery can take a full 2 years (especially the sense of taste).

Dont rush to get rid of the PEG. Until your husband can sustain himself for a full month without using the tube he is not ready to have it removed. Its a temporary tool that is there to help and soon enough it will be gone. Most patients hold onto it for a few months post rads, some take longer to recover and keep it around just in case they have a setback. Never know, recovery is a tricky period of ups and downs.

Hope you are being kind to yourself. You deserve to be congratulated too, without your help your husband would have had it much harder. Good job!!!

Congratulations. Not having to go in every day will be such a relief.

Thanks Christina thank you for all the answered questions I had along the treatment (:I know I had a bunch I'm so thankful for all the OCF people.. This site truly was a blessing and will continue to be as we go trough the healing process ! And yes I'm so thankful that long five days a week for seven weeks drive is over (sheww) that's a mouth full .. We will keep the keep the peg as long as it takes The mouth wash seems to be helping with the rawness he's feeling from the rads .i did mix my own up from our family dentist who give me a really good oral rinse along with the prescribed oral rinse from the rads Dr.k

Congratulations to both of you! This is certainly a huge milestone. Best wishes for continued and quick healing.

Congrats on completion of this milestone.

Like Christine said above you've still got a ways to go. Recovery can seem as trying and difficult as treatment. The first seven weeks may seem pretty rough, literally as if you were still in treatment. Weight loss can still continue (I lost 10 more pounds after treatment ended). Food taste will be SLOW to come back (and once it comes back it may go away again for awhile). Mucositis and ropey mucous and thrush and uncomfortable or dry sinuses, those are all just part of the game.

I don't want to be the bearer of bad tiding on this happy day of treatment completion; just don't get your hopes up that from here on out it's just a walk in the park. You will get there, but the operative word is "slowly" (and sometimes you'll even feel you're going backwards).

Now, go out and try to be happy.

Tony

Did they throw him a party in the rad room?They took pictures of me and my mask and put it up on their wall with others. I was too weak to smile much. Congrats and now let's get thru the next 2 to 3 weeks and then we celebrate what we call walking out of the tunnel.

David they didn't throw A party ):if they did I wasn't invited !!! I waited on Larry to to walk out with his mask ! I said where is you're mask?let me get it for you ,
He said no !! They ask if I wanted it I told them no! I really wish he would have got it but I'm sure he really wants to put this behind him with no memories in hand he will remember as time goes on ,,,he's went trough to much hell to forget ........ David I can't wait for the weeks and months to go by ,,even tho I hate to rush time this is when most like me would like for it to Fly by,, it's just been the mucus that's been the PAIN!!!! Here ..the neck the radiation and all that stuff hasn't been to bad even the pain hasn't been very bad trough treatment and were so thankful for that ,,it's been the mucus .i hope he can rest and heal from here out and just take it easy and Finley breath a little ,,

The thick mucus, sometimes called rope mucus, generally lasts 2-3 weeks after the completion of radiation. Sleeping on an incline may help, brushing, rinsing often, rinsing with seltzer water, tea, pineapple juice and or papaya juice, taking Robotusm or mucenex, drinking plenty of liquids. Using a Waterpic to get any gunk out in hard to reach areas, using sponge type tooth brushes on sticks to brush arounf the gums, back teeth area. I liked to have egg drop soup, which also helped clear my throat.

Good luck.

As Paul says that crap stays around for a few weeks and when it stops then usually starts the dry mouth phase so just be prepared if it does. For a while I had a bottle of water in EVERY room of my house just in case I forgot to take it with me which I did often. I also learned (the hard way) to keep spare bottles in all cars I might drive in. I left soooo many bottles in stores and of course wouldn't remember until I was out of the stores parking lot so I was left with the choice of returning to get it or driving without water until I got home. The latter always was a bad choice so that's why I started carrying extra bottles.

Congratulations! Its a great milestone to have behind you. As others have said its important to maintain the nutrition and hydration and keep an eye on changing symptoms. Its easy to feel disconnected from medical help when you don't see them every day, but you should call them to discuss any changes. Things will get worse before they get better, thats just part of the process. But its all about healing now, no more trips to the hospital for a while. Well done to both of you.

Congratulations as well! Savor the moment but keep the seatbelt fastened. In some ways a tougher leg of the journey starts but you are closer your destination too. Some important steps have been laid out above and wisdom says to follow the advice. You will see progress if you look for small improvements rather than monumental ones. I would measure progress by eating an extra bite or going outside for a few minutes or not feeling so fatigued for that day. Please reach out to the group with questions and concerns. We are with you on the journey.

Thanks guys for the information like I said before this site has helped me in so many ways ,,in being the caregiver for my husband I'm really glad to hear this rope mucus will go away in a few weeks ... I will try some of the mentioned liquid meds also their was a strong med recommended by a nurse but it took a prescription to get it and we haven't been back to the dr.yet we go back on the 17th July I will ask for it if still needed ..