Linda,
Today was the first time I have been on here for a while. I finished my radiation treatments (had a tumor in my left tonsil) about the end of May. When I read you last post, I had tears in my eyes. I remember how hard and discouraging it was to loose my sense of taste. I don't want to scare you but it will get tougher. The good news is that these people know what you are going through and they can help you to get through this.

I did not have a feeding tube and I lost 70 pounds. That was over 1/3 of my starting weight. If I had it to do over (I hope I never do) I would have asked for one. I only lost about ten pounds during the radiation. The rest came afterwards. That was when my mouth and troat got sore.

You will find that no food is satisfying for a while (KEEP IN MIND THIS IS TEMPORARY) but you must get nutrition. I tried to drink the protien shakes (vanilla Ensure worked for me) and any of the "cream of" soups.

Make sure you do not have a lot of pain. Insist that your doctor prescribe you enough pain medicine to keep you from hurting.

Now that I have given you all that, here is the good news. I already have my taste back. I am eating almost anything I want and I am gaining weight. The tumor is gone and I am well on my way to being at my "new" normal.

Keep you chin up. Trust the people here to understand what your going through and, when you are feeling down, DO NOT GIVE IN!!

God bless,
Max