Hi.
This is my first post, and I have a few questions...to see if anyone else out there has had this experience too.
I ended treatment ( 35 radiations/2 chemos) for tonsil/neck cancer (stage4) on June 22. I was starting to feel like each day was a little better last week. Friday I noticed a swollen gland or something in my groin area ( about the size of a walnut) somewhat painful to the touch. Sat I sat outside in the shade for about 5 hours and by Sunday morning I was covered in a prickly heat rash. It wasn't even that hot and I sat in the shade! So now I feel like I've taken a couple steps back. I've been mostly sleeping since. Except for my usual hacking up of the yuk every hour or so. I havn't contacted my Drs yet. They are 80 miles away and I just don't feel up to "come down and we'll take a look" so I am thinking I'll wait it out a few days. I also had a low grade temp of about 100.7 but I think thats gone.

It's now been 20 days since the end of treatment...Any input on how long before you quit hacking up the gunk? Also, I am on a PEG tube and if I try more than 3 or 4 sips of water I start coughing and gaging so its hard to get my self to try. Somewhere I heard that ginger ale is helpful? Any other sugestions? I am still on morphine every 4 hours ( 10ml) plus a patch (75).

It sure is hard keeping your morale up when recovering is such a slow process! I try to look at what has improved...like my outside neck skin is all healed up..Ah...there must be something else..Oh yeah, the 5X4 cm tumor in my neck is pretty much gone...just a little nubin of something left.
Mica

Mica,

I think the official term for the gunk is brown goo (my term, that is) .

Be careful being in any sun without sunscreen, especially so soon after treatment. Even radiant UV rays on radiated areas could be a bad deal. When in doubt, use the sunscreen.

I get something like a prickly heat rash on my chest and right shoulder only. It doesn't turn red but just bugs me. It started around March and I can keep it somewhat controlled but not eliminated.

I don't know what to think about the groin pain. You should get in the habit of checking your fever at least daily for a while as your body is somewhat beat down from the radiation and chemo and infection could pop up anywhere right now. If you run even a constant low grade fever, you should get it checked out.

20 days out from treatment I could not drink water because it was too thin. I could drink Boost and milk and lived on both with Ragu spaghetti. It was the only thing I could eat easily so I just went with it.

Try sipping something thicker and see if it is any easier. I still struggle at times with choking on water but I try to drink 100 oz or more a day.

I know how hard it is to keep the morale up, for sure! I describe it as a roller coaster ride that is wild at first but after a bit you know where the curves and drops are so they become somewhat expected and not as shocking to the sensations.

I am glad you are past treatment and I hope and pray for contiued healing and faster recovery for you. Keep up the hydration and nutrition and you are well on your way!

Ed

Mica, Welcome to the site. Sorry you need to be here, but welcome. Ed answered most of you issues. I can add that eating macaroni and cheese can help with the throat issues. When I was 20 days out of treatment, that was one of the things I could eat along with poached eggs. Eventually, you get to chips, pizza, everything, so it does get better. Keep up the faith and every two or three weeks it seems that a new burst of improvement will be felt. I also had a peg (in fact, I just had it removed this morning) and I supplemented my peg food with as much as I could stand through the mouth because the doctor scared me with what can happen if you don't continue swallowing. So try some other things to keep your throat in use. By the way, though it is much better, I still have throat goo and I am 4 1/2 months past rad. Good luck and I will add you to my prayers.

Mica,
I'm sorry you are having a hard time. I got through with radiation on 6/11, and just in these past few days the gunk (I call it yuck) has almost disappeared. It happened very quickly. Now my throat feels drier - uh-oh, had an awful thought and went and looked in the mirror - yeah, the cursed thrush is back!

Off to the drugstore for a refill of Diflucan - I'm glad I did not take the painkiller yet, so I can drive!

Well, you win a few , you lose a few.At least this explains why I had such hard time eating my cream of shrimp soup today.

Good luck - it will get better!

Leena

Mica,

I also had heat rashes and some amount of lymphedema in my lower legs when I tried to do things like walking extended distances or playing golf in the aftermath of my treatment. Generally the affected skin would take several days to go back to normal afterward. As time goes by (isn't there a song by that name?) this seems to happen less and less.

As far as the groin pain -- I don't know, but since lymphedema is a fairly common occurrence after cancer treatment, I'm wondering if it can cause lymph nodes in the groin to swell. Maybe someone else has a better sense of this than I do.

You're right that the healing process can be very slow -- I guess the rule of thumb is that it can take a month of healing for each week of radiation. I don't think you hit a magic date when you stop the hacking; at least in my experience, you find that after awhile it happens less and less often (and less severely). It sounds like you've made some progress if the skin on your neck has improved so much in the past couple of weeks.

Please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing.

Cathy

Mica,

I am as far from an alarmist as you will find on here. That said, I don't see the "walnut sizes gland" addressed in any of the other posts, so here goes. If it is still there get to the doctor. My medical knowledge is somewhat limited but I believe there are quite a few lymph nodes in the neck, underarm and groin areas. I think they are closer to the surface and present better, but that is a guess. Lumps and bumps anywhere on your body should be received with greater suspicion at this point and an 80 mile drive should not keep you from the appropriate follow-up with your doctors. Don't get me wrong, my surgeon is 60 miles away and I know it sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Glenn

I am with Glenn on this one as well. A walnut sized node anywhere is a call to the doctor. It may not be a node or serious but I'd call right away.

Sounds like a hernia to me. All the hacking can cause it. I'm up there with Glenn and Mark - get it checked.

You're supposed to check into the hospital when your temp goes above 100.5 degrees.
The rash could be from heat or reaction to pain meds. The immune system gets pretty beat up in the post Tx. Let your doctor know what is happening.

I wouldn't get discouraged. Healing from this is a slow tedious process measured in three week increments. Be patient. It sounds to me like you are doing pretty well overall.

A hernia....I forgot about that. Very good call.

Mark, Gary and Glenn all agree, priceless. If only we could convince Ed.

OK, I concur with the hernia! After 46 years I have learned sometimes you just agree to be part of the team.

Mica/Kirk, I forgot to mention you will see the brown goo turn clear at some time. Sort of imagine Crystal Gale in the background singing, "Don't it make your brown goo clear".

By the way, Kirk, CONGRATULATIONS on reaching another milestone! It really deserved a new thread, but at least know I took notice.

Ed