| | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 | Week 6 completed. No More Chemo and 1 more week of radiation to go. Started the week with a trip to the ER with a low grade temp., Temp was normal at the ER. Can anyone give a reasonable guess as to the sore throat recovery after radiation is completed, or any views on the recovery road? Thanks
60 yro male, non smoked, moderate beer drinker, active, overall good health
dx 110310
biop 120910 SCC BOT RT T3 N2C MO
bone scan 010411
rad 011111
pet scan 011211
chemo 011311
port 011411
peg 012100
Treatment Gainesville Fl Va & N. Fl Radiology / Oncology
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 71 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 71 | The recovery after radiation may be a little longer and slower than you might expect. Depends on how bad you have gotten through the chemo and radiation. You will need a couple of weeks to pull your body back from fighting itself and then it will start to heal. Taste, saliva, swallowing, eating will all come along slowly but improving in little ways. Just keep checking back if you have questions!
Michele in IL
Female - 53 no smoke/drink
tongue Biopsy 8/2010
Surgery 9/21 for SCC left side tongue stage II. Prtl removal tongue/left side lymph nodes. All Clear
Radiation started 11/2, ended 12/17
Lymph node involved left side along with gum involvement 2/9 Fibular flap failed 2/22.
passed away 1/12/12
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Buster, radiation keeps working even after your treatments are finished. Usually the last week of treatment and the first 2 to 3 weeks after are the worst of all your treatment. After 2 or 3 weeks you will begin to slowly feel a little better. For the next few weeks it will be 2 steps forward and one step back. the best thing you can do to help yourself is to keep up the nutrition of minimum 2500 calories daily and hydration of a minimum 48 oz water daily. If you can take more in thats even better, it will only help make your recovery quicker. Hang in there, you are almost finished. Very soon this will be a distant memory and you will be feeling much better.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 | 7 weeks of radiation, Done. 6 weeks of chemo, Done. No new issues this last week. The next large step for me will be when I see improvements with the sore throat
60 yro male, non smoked, moderate beer drinker, active, overall good health
dx 110310
biop 120910 SCC BOT RT T3 N2C MO
bone scan 010411
rad 011111
pet scan 011211
chemo 011311
port 011411
peg 012100
Treatment Gainesville Fl Va & N. Fl Radiology / Oncology
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 99 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 99 | CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!
You have made it and now you are heading into the time of recovery which you have been waiting for! Way to go.
CG 2 Emmett,7/09 DX SCC rt tongue. T2N1M0, 1 node, marg neg.4/10 PET/CT clear, 9/10 C back. 10/10 Rad hemi, 2 tmrs mod diff. resec flr of mth. Flap 4 nodes/w/ext cap. 11/10 Peg, CX3 HD, 30 rad. 1/31 & 3/21 6/11/11 - PET/CT "activity" 9/11-all Clear. 12/11 peg out. 2/15 still all clear! 9/14 Prostate cancer treated with pencil beam proton therapy, best radiation experience. Keep it in mind as a treatment option for all tumors that can be seen including head and neck.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Way to go!!! Now let the healing begin!!!!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | Congratulations buster - glad you are finished - hopefully you recovery will be a speedy one.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 23 | Can anyone help? 4 weeks into recovery still have a severe sore throat, constantly coughing up a thick mucous to the point I gag myself. Still unable to eat due to the sore throat and my energy level is very low. Is this normal? When should I see improvement? Thanks.
60 yro male, non smoked, moderate beer drinker, active, overall good health
dx 110310
biop 120910 SCC BOT RT T3 N2C MO
bone scan 010411
rad 011111
pet scan 011211
chemo 011311
port 011411
peg 012100
Treatment Gainesville Fl Va & N. Fl Radiology / Oncology
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 167 Senior Member (100+ posts) | | Senior Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 167 | Hey there Buster - sorry to hear you're still dealing with a severe sore throat and thick mucous. Have you checked in with your MD? Pain too severe to swallow should really be managed by your doctor. There's a wide range of "normal" -when I was recovering after treatment I would be discouraged when I found I wasn't getting a bit better every day - but when I started looking at it week to week, I could really appreciate the gains I made.
I am concerned that you're not eating now due to the sore throat - do you have trouble swallowing (coughing, choking?) If you do, you should see a speech therapist for assessment and treatment- if you don't have trouble swallowing (other than the obvious-pain!) then you may need to push yourself (tough love here)to at least drink so that you maintain those swallow muscles - it doesn't take long for them to decrease in their range of motion and make what might be a safe swallow today an unsafe swallow in a couple weeks.
Regarding that mucous - sometimes it gets really thick when we don't stay well hydrated - could that be an issue for you? Do you think you're getting enough water through your PEG?
Take care - seems like you have enough concerns to warrant a trip to the Doctor!
Jennifer (39)
02/10 SCCa Tongue & Base, HPV-
03/10 Partial Glossectomy & ND 11/10 Revision due to additional nodes 12/20-2/2/11 IMRT & concommitant chemo 2/11 PEG in 3/11 PEG out
Back at work and feeling good 03/24/11!
12/20/11 - 9 month f/u PET/CT - all clear!
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | I have to agree... fluids fluids fluids... and rinse as much as possible. The baking soda rinse has regenerative properties, it will help the sore throat. Sorry you are suffering. hopefully things will get better daily. take care
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
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