That wonderful attitude you maintain is your biggest allie.

That steak tastes like spinach and potatoes like ribs is way better than my case was, where everything tasted bad (except Ensure). Ensure is what got me through the last 3 weeks of treatment and the first 2 to 3 weeks after.

I didn't reread all your thread before posting, but at the halfway point I expect my side effects were about the same as yours. The mucositis got worse in the last week of rads and then stuck around for another 5 weeks or so. Even then lidocaine got me through it, never needed anything stronger.

Coffee seemed to help with the ropey mucous that developed and still persists even today, 8+ weeks post radiation. But, that's about my only symptom now. I may be that guy that Uptown was referring to in the above post as I had very few side effects from treatment. So, there are people who get through it relatively unscathed.

Even taste has returned for the most part; beef still doesn't taste quite right, and some days chocolate tastes good and other days it tastes blah, but everything else is enjoyable.

Keep up that great attitude, you are an inspiration to others who will follow.

Tony

Tony, 69, non-smoker, aerobatics pilot, bridge player/teacher, avid dancer (ballroom, latin, swing, country)

09/13 SCC, HPV 16, tonsillectomy, T2N0.
11/13 start rads, no chemo
12/13 taste gone, dry mouth,
02/14 hair slowly returning
05/14 taste the same, dry sinuses, irrigation helps.
01/15 food taste about 60% returned, dry sinuses are worse in winter.
12/20 no more sinus problems, taste pretty good