Hey Sheldon, I think most of us bounce back and forth after radiation treatment, kind of a three steps forward, two steps back type of thing.

I got my taste back pretty quickly (maybe 1-2 months post IMRT) but something is still somewhat "off" now that I'm six months post-radiation (the first round that is). There are just some of my former favorite foods that turn me off now. I think my tongue is on fire everytime I drink something with carbonation.

I, too, did the pain patches and have had two runs now with hydrocodone (once during/after radiation over the winter and once after my second surgery in June). Both times, I remember feeling "blue" and "down" for a couple of days after my last dose of the hydrocodone. I tapered off the hydrocodone for good this past Saturday and I was an emotional wreck the following day. Everything made me cry -- the Lance Armstrong Nike commericials, watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding, watching NBC's emotion-grabbing coverage of the Ironman Triathlon, every post on this board, etc. It took me a couple of days to realize why -- my body wasn't getting that narcotic "lift" anymore...

What fun stories we all have to tell... Hang in there, Sheldon, you are getting better week by week.

Eric


Tongue cancer (SCC), diagnosed Oct. 2003 (T2 N0 M0). Surgery to remove tumor. IMRT Radiation 30x in Dec 2003 - Jan. 2004. Recurrence lymph node - radical neck dissection June 2004. Second round of rad/chemo treatments ended Sept. 2004.