Hi out there - my name is Liz

I had a neck dissection on Jan 31 followed by 35 treatments of rad.

Right now I am on a feeding tube which comes out this thursday - I can't wait - only problem is that I am having problems swallowing as well.

In order for me to swallow anything I have to fill up my mouth with water - which makes everything taste worse - if thats possible (can't taste to much as it is)

I have lost 25 pds already and have no energy - if it was up to me I would stay in bed all day. Very depressing huh - I am not giving up though - Is anyone out there tired all the time? How long before all the mucus in the mouth goes away. My last rad session was on Arpil 11.

Help

Liz,
I can't directly answer your question, but I am curious too. My mom finished her RAD over 4 months ago and is still tired, losing weight and in general is miserable. I guess I am just not informed about any of this. I keep trying to read this website and gather information, but still feel lost. We all thought that my mom sould be back to work by now- back to life. And there she sits in her couch every day, her mouth breaks out in sores every other day- as if she is reliving her RAD all over again. The doctors finally put a feeding tube in- after losing 26 pounds- she only weighs 88 pounds now. But do you think anyone educated her on the risks of not using the tube and not gaining the weight back. She is against the tube- uses it to appease me, and is convincing her PCP to remove it next week seeming that she is convinced she can drink enough Ensure a day by mouth to get better. But my worry is that her mouth is not much better than it was six months ago during the height of her RAD treatment- now she wants the tube out. I would think the doctors would want her to gain some weight back before removing the tube. How long do the sores last after RAD? It seems people have had problems for years that never fully go away?

I hope that at some point she turns the corner because her quality of life stinks right now! I am not sure what to do!