I wanted to put it out to the group...has anyone had issues with "ropey saliva?" Not sure what that means but someone described their husband having issues with this as they were undergoing radiation treatments. And has anyone had issues with feeling as if they might choke while in treatment especially when having to be immobilized for certain procedure or treatments.
And, has anyone actually been able to work through these kind of treatments-radiation and chemo to be specific? I am a school teacher of second graders and I can't imagine being in the classroom for any of the treatments.
My wheels are turning and I thought I would look to the forum so I could tap into your experiences." Thanks Chris

NonaChris, please begin your own new post. Its easy to start your own post, go to the topic heading you want and click NEW which is on the top left. With your own post, you will get responses to your own individual question. It wont take away from what the original posting party (Len Raley) who is waiting to get his own answers. If you have any questions how to navigate OCF, please ask and we will guide you.

Moving a post here.

Chris - ropey saliva is a perfect name for it. I certainly experienced it during treatment and for sometime thereafter. The buildup of mucous, i.e. mucousitis is a very common side effect of radiation. Sometimes it felt to me as if I were literally pulling the stuff out of my mouth.

It goes away, remember that. Although at the time it seems terrible. I'm not sure what can really be done about the immobilization issue... we've all worn the dreaded mask, and then there are the various scans that also require that our head be locked in place. All I can suggest is that you spit and clean your mouth out as thoroughly as you can at the last possible moment. And, of course, use all the mouth products recommended by your medical team.

Perhaps others will be able to offer something more useful! I more or less just gritted my teeth and told myself that things would improve. And they did.

As far as working during treatment, that too is an individual decision. My guess is that you'll do it as long as you feel able. Your body will tell you when it's time to take a break. I work in a little room on a computer, hardly a classroom full of kids, and I was pretty much fried (literally...) after about the 3rd week of rads and didn't return to work until maybe 6 months later.

David2

Chris

Yes "ropey saliva" is an issue many of us have dealt with (and I still deal with it). One quick point though so you don't get embarrassed if you talk to your doctors, mucositis has nothing to do with excessive mucous
It's a common mistake, mucositis is the inflammation of your mucous membranes in your mouth. The therapy can destroy the cells quickly and they are not replaced right away. Doctors expect to see raw sores (ulcers) in the mouth and throat when you say you have mucositis. I did have mucositis also as a result of the Erbitux.

I worried a lot about choking when strapped down for radiation and would swab my mouth with a tissue and then gargle right before each tx in the bathroom outside the radiation machine room. A "netty pot" also helped move the mucous. I went through a six pack of canned seltzer water a day when it was at it's worse during TX. The seltzer water cut right thru the mucous (like those scrubbing bubbles on the TV ads). That's why I used a new can each time so there would be lots of fizz. It is a terrible choking feeling at first but you learn to spit it out or get it within reach and pull it out pretty quickly. It does get better.
I'll search my memory to see what else worked
Charm

Charm, I stand corrected on the mucositis issue! And the spelling. It's always the common mistakes that get me.
D2

Chris

Some posters here have sailed through radiation and chemo with relatively little complications. Please don't start worrying too much now about all the bad things that could happen. The degrees of thick saliva, excess mucous, dry mouth etc vary tremendously with each individual. In rereading your post, I realized that I should have recommended that you not let your wheels turn so much that you get all wrapped up in fear.
It's like that old song: Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be, the future's not ours to see, que sera sera.
Sure its good to know what typically happens, but it's better to take deliberate notice that even when the "worst" happens, we bounce back, survive and thrive.
This OCF forum is great, but like most such forums, many of the cancer patients who do very very well during TX drift away. Work however as a second grade teacher does seem rather problematic.
Also get a TSH blood test NOW, before any TX. Insist on it and if the cancer doctors won't do it, any doctor can order one and insurance will pay for it. I've ranted about this before, but bottom line you will need to know what was "normal" if you want to get back to "normal" after TX with your TSH levels.
Charm

Warm water salt solution cuts the ropey stuff real well. I use it about 4 times a day and my mouth feels much better after each use. It also has a mild drying effect which helps before the horizontal scans.

My experience with the ropey stuff is several weeks after the end of Tx, one day, it just stopped. My theory is that it is caused from the damaged salivary glands purging it. Many others have had the same experience. Hang it there it will get better.

Chris, I too am a teacher. I did not work through my treatments. I wanted to try, but my physicians were adamant that I did not. I am now glad about that. I had almost every side-effect in the book. You being a second grade teacher, I would be concerned about all the germs that go around with those angels. Your immune system will nto be what it was before, and easy to catch every little thing.