Hi

I am new to this forum though my wife (Doreen) has been participating for a couple months now.

I have (had?) Squamous Cell Carcinoma Stage 4 which presented as a massive tumor at the base of tongue and into the throat. I had surgury (April 12, 2005) where they removed my entire tongue and part of my esophagus. Surgury was followed by Chemo and radiation (simultaniously) and I am now 5 weeks out of treatment.

My question is I don't know when to expect certain after effects to start improving. I was hoping other survivors with similar problems might shed some light as to when things started getting better for them.

My first issue is my secretions. I have a trach and it seems that I am constantly having to clear it of secretions every few minutes. It seems I cant wear my speaking valve for any length of time because of my need to clear my trach. How long did it take after radiation for this to significantly improve?

My second issue is opening my mouth. I currently can not proceed with swallowing therapy nor get dental trays made because I can't open my mouth very wide. I have a Therabyte which I use to try and stretch my jaw, I use it 5 - 10 times a day each time holding for a duration of 5 - 10 minutes. Progress seems to be very slow. Has anyone one had any great success going from a jaw that barely opened to greatly improved range of motion? How long did it take?

Lastly my energy is improving but I still have days where I have to really force myself to do much more than sit in a chair all day. What have been your experiences with fatifue and how long before you were feeling better (80% or better) mostly everyday?

I realize everyone may heal at their own pace but hearing from others who have overcome or failed to overcome similar issues may help me set some realistic goals to shoot for.

Thanks for any input.
Lee