Hi Anne

Sounds like your husband is doing very well. Be careful feeding him rice, it can be very difficult to eat when a person has dry mouth problems. Ive choked on rice a few times and still cant seem to get it down. Eating post treatment can be a long battle due to the taste and mouth changes. Slowly your husband will improve. It can take up to 2 years to get to his new normal. Most patients have extreeme fatigue and many mouth sores to deal with. Your husband really is very fortunate, must be from having a great caregiver smile

After effects can pop up any time after treatments are over. There are so many little annoyances that can happen. Since your husband recently finshed his treatments, its not unusual for setbacks to happen. Seems like its constantly 2 steps forward and 1 step back for a long time. After having radiation, it takes longer for patients to heal. A high protein diet with over 2000 calories or more will help him recover better. Protein is necessary for healing and he will burn alot of calories during the healing process.

Your husband really is doing very very well. Some people sail right thru treatments while others struggle. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile