Hi,
My husband Bob had nasopharynx cancer, stage 2, finished treatment 12/03, radiation and chemo, and all is clear so far.
He still has a lot of mucus at this stage which makes eating difficult. After treatment he had to have all remaining teeth removed because of decay and had 30 Hyperbaric treatments which was necessary before teeth could be pulled but I think it helped with overall healing. It took 6 months before he finally got his teeth and he is now trying to adjust to that. He never had a peg so he has been on a thick liquid diet for the past year and a half (gained 28 pounds this past year). He would not try to eat solids without teeth. Now he has teeth and I am hoping once they are comfortable and adjusted he will try to eat. He wants to eat but I think he is afraid to swallow solids. He can swallow little pills and eat something like yogurt consistency. What is the next step to getting him to eat. Should he have a swallowing test. The last test( 8/04) he had they were tempted to tell him not to drink anything for fear of aspiration but because he had gained weight and was doing well on the liquids they said keep doing what you are doing. Do most people need their esphogus stretched after radiation?
Does anyone have the same experience with excess mucus 18 months after treatment.
Another side effect is numbness in hands and legs. I read that is supposed to subside in time but thought that took about a year after chemo. I realize everyone is different in their stages of healing.
He is definitely on the road to recovery with each passing month but it does take time and I hope it can still get better.
For anyone just starting out with treatments, there is definitely light at the end of this tunnel but we need to have patience.
Any thoughts one the eating or mucus would be appreciated. Eileen