Help anybody. 3 weeks ago my dad finished 3 months of radiation and chemo. He can still hardly swallow and is nauseus. He is so weak, I'm afraid he's losing hope that he'll ever feel better. While his last examination was very promising, no one can say why he hasn't made even the smallest steps towards feeling normal. He's 71, non smoker and has a lot more time left for fly fishing. Has anyone ever felt like they've hit a wall? Thank you...

I'm 20 years younger than him and was in the same place at weeks. It is a VERY slow healing process and requires a great deal of patience. He is a very brave soul - tell him to hang in there it will get better.

Dillburke,

Can you tell us more about his diagnosis -- specifically where the tumor was located, the stage of the tumor, etc? That will help to get responses from people who were in similar situations.

That being said, many people here who have had radiation, or radiation with chemo, had to deal with long, slow recovery periods. The effects of radiation tend to continue for some time (usually months) after the last treatment. Is he being treated at a major cancer center? His medical team should be monitoring his weight, checking on his nutrition on a regular basis, and giving him medication to help control the nausea. Does he have a PEG tube to help with feeding, or is he eating entirely by mouth?

Many of us DID feel like we hit a wall at one point or another, but it does get better. Don't let him give up.

Cathy

Wow, this is my first moment on this site and I already feel like family. Thank you. Specifically his cancer is in his neck and throat and 2 lymph nodes. As you can tell, I'm searching for answers for him. Everyday it's the same and I need some support. So when it comes to specifics, I'll do my best. I think he caught the cancer pretty quickly. He had a sore throat for a month and decided to get it checked out. He is scheduled for a PET scan in 3 weeks. Right now, they cannot detect any tumors clinically. The doctors are monitoring everything; blood levels, weight, nutrition. He is receiving his nutrition via a feeding tube with Jevity and has been prescibed a couple of different medications for his nausea, but they're not working too well. I can't thank you enough. Just this initial feedback has given me a new perspective on his fight. ~Erin

Hi, Erin, my thought is that being 3 weeks after chemo\rad will lay anyone LOW! Your Dad has alot of recovery time to deal with. Remember,at age 71 he is not a "spring chicken" The treatment was rough and he will need time to recover. [even the "spring chickens" need lots of time to recover]. You need to think of this as long term recovery and don't let him get discouraged. Amy in the Ozarks

Erin,

I went to the ER towards the end of my 2nd week post Tx and I started to feel almost normal, well at least a lot better than I had, starting in the latter part of week 3 post Tx. I started drinking about 3000 calories of "food" and began to be able to swallow softer solid foods. For most posters, the recovery period usually doesn't even begin until the 3rd to 4th week post Tx and everyone can react differently. He's 71 which is 10 to 15 years older than a lot of us so I think he's reacting just like you would expect. Make sure his docs are totally aware of his progress even if you make a pest of yourself

Hi Erin,
While everyone is different, they normally say 1 month of recovery for every week of treatment. He should be getting at least 2000+ calories a day and more depending on his weight. He should be drinking lots of fluids preferably by mouth to keep his swallowing muscles working. He should also be exercising opening and closing his mouth so he does not get trismus. A walk around the block is also good to keep the leg muscles going.

Check with your doctor on this, but I was given Zinc Sulfate and a multivitamin after treatment to help promote healing. I think they helped and still take them.

Keep posting and tell him to hang in there. It gets better but it takes time. Ask if he has specific questions and post them here for him, then print off the posts. It helps to know your not alone.

Take care,
Eileen