 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | The firstyear is the most difficult BUT the most rewarding as your body will continue to heal itself and things will improve so it's really all good but it will take time. I was consuming appx 3000 cals each and every day my first year and I didn't gain a pound so it tells you how much energy is being expended "behind the scenes" for recovery. Eat anything that tastes good. I lived off of Boost VHC, pancakes smothered in syrup and runny eggs, TV dinners with tons of gravy, etc. I didn't care about fat content, in fact the ones with high fat tasted better so the hell with it, give it to me!!! My taste returned at 4 months, 5 months, the most at 16 months and then a tad more at 24 months. I'm now 8 years out and it's just a bad dream. The worst part of surviving this Tx is you get older! 
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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