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#38264 03-07-2005 02:47 AM
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I have one more week of radiation therapy and one more dose of chemo to go through. It's been a rough road and I'm down to 104 pounds. I've adjusted to life on the PEG, but every time I pour in, I get a flem/mucous bubble and out it comes. It's painful tossing my cookies several times a day. The chemo oncologist and I both have come to the conclusion that it's not the chemo that is doing this but the long ropey mucous. I get a "bubble" and then comes the violent vomiting.

I'm a gagger by nature. As soon as I gag on flem, my stomach wants to empty.

Anyone with suggestions? In the meantime, everytime I do a feeding, I try to stay mentally positive and sit still for at least an hour. Sometimes as long as three hours afterwards I'll still get sick

I'm hoping that someone that has gone through this before could offer a suggestion. I'm trying to get the six cans of prosure down a day. It doesn't help when some of that comes up because the flem just builds.

#38265 03-07-2005 09:52 AM
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I've just read both your posts today and can see that you are really in the midst of some horrendous challenges. If my memory serves, you are a person who arms herself well with information and is not afraid to battle for what you need. Bravo to you for making it so far!
I have no experience with the Iressa (but would love to learn more) but the phlegm problem is right up my alley.
Many days my calorie count was practically zip due to all that thick mucous. It seemed to just bubble out of me...with the resultant nausea and vomitting. The main thing I found that gave any sort of relief was plain salt free soda water. I would sip away at that constantly through the day and night (who was sleeping then anyway?) A few cc's at a time and mostly I could keep it down and it broke up some of that thick yucky stuff. That allowed me to get some broth and slippery noodles down as I had no PEG.
Keep your eyes on that that "one more week" goal...you are almost there! You know there will be a couple of rough weeks after the rads are done, but at least there won't be any additional stress placed on your stressed to the max body.
We're all rooting for you here at the boards..keep typing,keep fighting.
All the very best to you fellow traveler,
Fran


SCC Base of tongue diag. April 04 Stage IV, mets to rt. neck multiple nodes 35 rads+8 boosts First recurrence Jan05. Rt.rad neck dissection Feb02/05. Recurred with bone mets in neck July 05.
Committed to survival with dignity.
#38266 03-07-2005 01:08 PM
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I know that David had terrible phlem and he used a suction machine to get the phelm out.( just like at the dentist office) It was extremely useful. By not swallowing the phelm (which was also difficult) he was able to reduce the nausea. He sucked out ropes of it too. Our insurance paid for the portable machine and we got it from the American Supply Company located here in Atlanta. You should have something like that in your area too.

Good luck Phlem girl. Suck that stuff out! Prayers to you.

Love Brenda ( David's wife)


T1N0M0 Partial Glossectomy 2/04, Recurrance w/ another P.G. 5/04. IMRTx33 7/04-9/04. T2N2M0 recurrance in throat, 11/04.
2nd tumor 1/06/05, Chemo 1/11-05 Died 02-16-05 Wife: Brenda
#38267 03-12-2005 02:24 AM
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I ran into the same problems with the mucus draining and causing nausea every time I would tube feed. I was usually vomiting anywhere from 2-4 times a day. They finally got me on Zofran and Riglan every 8 hours around the clock. The Riglan helps with keeping everything moving through the stomach. In addition, I had to use a pump for my feedings. It pumps the food in at a slow rate during the night. The only problem with this is you have to sleep at a 45-degree angle to make sure it does not bubble up during the night.


SCC Stage IV base of tongue Dx 08/04. 8 weeks Taxol, Carboplatin then Hydrea, 5FU, IMRT x's 48, Iressa. 33 at diagnosis.
#38268 03-12-2005 08:12 AM
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You know, I have the liquid med that moves my stuff through my stomach faster and I also have the anti-nausea meds. It's been a couple days since that last post. I'm still flemmy. The doc did give me a prescript to get a machine, but since I'm all the way done with rads and chemo, I'm not going to get the machine just yet, I'm going to try to get through it the hard way.

So far the flem hasn't let up, but I'm hoping that I'll turn the corner soon.

Thanks for your help everybody

Jen

#38269 03-12-2005 09:14 AM
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Jen,
I think the pump good be a good idea. I know that when my husband used his, he could only tolerate a pretty slow drip - or he woud be nauseous (so I can imagine how hard it would be to be pouring the fluid into the PEG). We would set the pump up at about 7:00 in the evening and it would take him until about 10:00 the next morning ot be through the 6 cans. Also, he did not get the PEG until the last week of radiation and chemo - and we ended up being really happy that he did. As I am sure you have heard many times, the effects of the treatment continue for quite some time. In his case, he got the PEG in March and wasn't ready to have it removed until August.

Best wishes to you.
Anita


Husband Dx 12/02 Stage 4 Tonsil Cancer T1N2bM0; surgery, radiation, chemo 1/03 - 4/03.
#38270 03-13-2005 03:30 AM
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Jen, glad to hear you have completed the hardest part of treatment, for me anyway, which is that gift that keeps on giving, radiation therapy. Just to give you a little upbeat news, my flem problems were fairly severe as well. For the first few weeks after treatment ended, it got worse, then started to get better. As I recall, and it is good news that I really can't remember it too clearly, it was week 4-5 that I really turned a corner on the flem. So keep the faith, there is light at the end of the flem tunnel. It gets better and better as time goes by.


Regards, Kirk Georgia
Stage IV, T1N2aM0, right tonsil primary, Tonsilectomy 11/03, 35 rad/3cisplatin chemo, right neck dissection 1/04 - 5/04.
#38271 03-15-2005 06:56 AM
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HI,
can you drink liquids? try warm water, or weak tea. I find warm liquids really thin the flem and push it down.

Also, use less per can at a time (slower rate). Down to 104 lbs is pretty low, so I know you don't have a lot of "spare" weight. Maybe try fewer cans per day, or slower feed rates in the hope that what goes in can stay in.

Is there a muscle relaxer medicine that might control or limit the gag reflexes?

Just take it week by week. Rad's almost done, and will be tough for a couple of more weeks but then should be getting better.

I didn't have a PEG, but did survive on a few cans a day, or a yogurt, or a glass of soy milk. It should get better soon.

I had trouble with coughing & thick flem, cough syrup (codiene) helped me. Would it help thin the mucus for you?
good luck,
michelle


History of leukoplakia <2001-2004. SCC lateral tongue 9/03; left radical neck dissection & hemiglosectomy 10/03, T2-3,N0M0; 28 IMRT radiation completed 12/03. 30 HBO dives Oct-Nov 04 for infections and bone necrosis -mandible.
#38272 03-16-2005 02:37 AM
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I ended treatment last Friday, so I've had four days of just healing up. The flem thing is still a problem. I hate talking about gross stuff on a message board, but this is what keeps me from sleeping well and keeping weight on. I'm like a cat with a hairball... just hork hork hork until the flem comes up. I figured it's too late in the game to get the little suction machine. Afterall, if I've made it this far, maybe there's only a week or so left of the flem junk left?

I tend to make sure to curl upright for sleeping, either with the pillows in my bed or the recliner chair. Outside of living with the PEG tube the only thing I take via mouth anymore is little sips of water so I don't dry out.

I'm going to try the warm tea idea. If anything, maybe I can get some other liquids besides water in me.

Thanks for the replies.

Jen

#38273 03-16-2005 05:42 AM
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Hello Jen; You've come a long way in the past few months! Hopefully you will be able to lay back and let the healing begin. I hate the phrase "it takes time" because I think we have all been through enough when the rads are done. There really should be some lovely prize for us when we finish..I guess the hope of victory over this nasty cancer will have to be enough.
I will watch for your your posts to see how you are doing. It's a darn tough go, but we're darn tough people!
All the best to you,
Fran


SCC Base of tongue diag. April 04 Stage IV, mets to rt. neck multiple nodes 35 rads+8 boosts First recurrence Jan05. Rt.rad neck dissection Feb02/05. Recurred with bone mets in neck July 05.
Committed to survival with dignity.
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