 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 | Geri, As is so often said here, everyone responds to treatment differently. I never needed more pain meds than oxycodone, but usually less than the full dosage per day, and stopped taking it pretty quickly after treatment ended. Also, I've not experienced any swallowing difficulties, despite my PEG tube, but I was diligent about doing my mouth stretching and swallowing exercises. Eating is still slow, but that's due to limited saliva and my Franken-tongue being less mobile. One more thought from the peanut gallery 
Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08
Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016
Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018
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