It is so comforting to come across a thread that we can relate to.

My husband also lost his "sweet" buds during radiation. This was MAJOR for him! LOL He finished up in November, and on Christmas Day received a stocking full of his favorites. (It's a tradition with us....I always get him a huge Whitman Sampler for the holidays) I felt so incredibly bad when he took a bite and chewed, and chewed, and chewed some more, and then had to go spit it out. With the lack of saliva, it just seemed to get thicker and thicker with no way to swallow. And he couldn't taste what little he was able to rinse down with water.

Everything else tasted like cardboard and he would have dreams of biting into a big juicy hamburger (another favorite). We actually went out to dinner one night and I kept seeing him glance at the bar while he was trying to get his salad down. Finally he told me, "See that bottle of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup? It's all I can do to keep from jumping around there and trying to drink it!" Wasn't the alcohol that was tempting, it was the chocolate!

Well, he recently went back to work, and the buds have gotten some better along with the saliva. The other day I asked him what he had eaten, and with a big grin, he announced that he was able to eat half a bag of M&Ms with peanuts (no less!) after lunch. It took over half an hour, but he did it! I know it sounds silly, but it was a breakthrough moment for him, and eating is getting better and better ever since. He even managed to gain 5 lbs last month due to a McDonald's big breakfast each morning. LOL

Things do get better with time, and I thank God each time one of these little "silly" miracles happen. It makes us so thankful for the life that we have. We sure don't sweat the small stuff like we used to.

Now, if I could only find my cell phone under that mountain of clothes in the floor, and locate the car keys that aren't where they are supposed to be, I might be able to stock up on groceries......oh well. It can wait another day.