Welcome to OCF! Im sorry to read about what your husband has been thru. As his caregiver you have been thru heck too!
Isnt the thick gunky mucous just horrible? Unfortunately we've all gone thru that too. It should be getting to be less than when it first started to bother your husband. I would definitely talk to his doc about it. To me it sounds like he is experiencing a pretty normal recovery phase. His doctor may have some tips or ideas of how to help get your husband make more progress. What Ive seen most patients go thru is from 4 to 8 weeks (even up to 10 or 12 weeks for some) of the thick gunky mucous then it seems to magically go away and then the dry mouth becomes a big issue.
Your husband is not alone with becoming upset by a lack of substantial progress. None of us can ever recover as quickly as we think we should. Depression is very common among oral cancer (OC) patients, many caregivers are affected as well. Many OC patients and caregivers take anxiety meds and talk with therapists to help them manage their way thru their cancer experience. Your husband has been thru alot and it will take time to bounce back. Just always remember everyone is different and will respond in their own unique way. My doc said one month recovery for every week of rads is what most patients go thru. For a complete recovery it takes patients 2 full years. During that time they will continue to see improvements here and there in their sense of taste and dry mouth. The mucous is normally not a problem after the first few weeks/months of recovery. Some patients have reported a few months after their 2 year post rads mark to see improvements in saliva and sense of taste. In time his mouth will not burn so much. Milk helps to neutralize any burning mouth issues.
If he hasnt tried magic mouthwash yet I suggest asking his doc about it. There are several varieties but all will do the same thing, numb his mouth long enough to eat. The magic mouthwash I had consisted of lidocaine, malox and benedryl. Magic mouthwash should be swished around in the mouth for at least 30 seconds then spit out. Also drinking lots of water 48-64 oz daily will help to thin the mucous. It also should help with constipation.
One thing that seems to be related is when pain is not properly managed, patients have more recovery problems. Pain meds also cause constipation in most people. Its pretty much a vicious cycle where its not easy to get past pain meds and get his digestion back on track. Its a challenge especially when the patient is drinking the formulas, stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea can be issues. His sense of taste will gradually return. Its just like anything in his post cancer recovery, its slow progress with ups and downs and a few setbacks thrown in too. Heres a list of easy to eat foods. This list was created for anyone who needs help thinking of foods that they may try to get back to eating more regular foods. Most foods are a bit bland without much texture but thats what works best for recovering OC patients. One food I found one of the easiest was canned sliced peaches. Definitely avoid rice!!! I kept trying it every once in a while when I thought I was doing better than I really was with my recovery. Rice sticks and made me choke even if its loaded with butter and gravy, it still isnt something I can eat. Adding high protein whey powder may help with your husbands healing but check with his doctor first. Also ask the doc about if taking a multivitamin will help. Centrum makes an adult liquid vitamin thats very good, Ive used it for months and it helps me to feel better.
Hope this helps, best wishes!
List of Easy to Eat Foods
