Max,

I had really painful mouth sores for about the last half of radiation and several weeks afterward. For me, the numbing medications worked for (at most) 10-15 minutes, so I had a little bit of time to try to get soft or semi-liquid food into my system before the pain came back. I told people at the time that if they had ever had a serious, blistering sunburn, they should try to imagine having it on the lining of their mouth and then trying to eat or drink anything.

I suspect that pain medications now are more effective than what I had 17 years ago (I know I never had anything as strong as morphine when I was going through radiation). My husband probably got fed up with listening to me scream my lungs out at mealtime. For me, recovery seemed slow, but I eventually got back to the point where food tasted good again and eating stopped being a chore.

Unfortunately, if you have just finished radiation, there is a possibility that the effects will still be with you for awhile longer, but hopefully you'll start to turn the corner soon.

Please be sure you are continuing to keep your doctors posted on your pain levels to be sure they are doing everything possible to manage it.

Cathy


Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989