| Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 | Wow my throat is sooooo sore right now. My mucous feels like venom on the lining of the top rear under where my sinuses are. Wow! Making everything hurt from my ears down to my clavicle. Inflammation is like whoa so food is even getting stuck on the way down. Can't even drink cold water from the shock of the cold. I am forcing through the swallow though, I have a tremendous pain tolerance so even though this is rough I am pretty positive gritting it through.
But I tell you, I started to feel like I was breezing through this the way I was handling it. I was like wow, glory to God is that all you got for me Devil? HAW HAW I SCOFFETH! Turns out there's some fire after all and its only been since Thursday that Tx was over. Laughing it off. It's not gonna discourage me at all. In fact, it sounds like all part of the process so let's get it on!!! BRING THE BURN!!
Dx: 3/11 Stage III glottic laryngeal SCC HPV 16+ Tx Start: 7/18/11 chemoradiation 7wks - Tomotherapy IMRT x 34 / Cisplatin x 7 Tx End:9/1/11]-[as of 1/20/12 - ALL CLEAR!]
| | | | Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 267 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 267 | I like your attitude! Hope you're feeling much better soon.
Tracy - 33 at diagnosis SCC right ventral tongue Dx 4/11. T1N2M0 1st resection 5/11. Bilateral neck dissection: 2 pos nodes 2nd resection w/graft 6/11. Erbitux x 11 completed 9/11. IMRT x 30 completed 8/11. 3 month MRI and PET/CT all clear. 6, 9, 12 and 24 month post treatment MRIs all clear. | | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 | wow this is crazy though. Have to make sure my bravado doesn't outweigh my good sense. I am having trouble swallowing at all. Even through the pain the swelling seems to be closing off my esophagus so that only tiny sips can get down. I will give it a day but hopefully it doesn't start closing down my trachea as well. Feels very tight in there. =/ The pain I can handle, but that kind of swelling is a concern.
Dx: 3/11 Stage III glottic laryngeal SCC HPV 16+ Tx Start: 7/18/11 chemoradiation 7wks - Tomotherapy IMRT x 34 / Cisplatin x 7 Tx End:9/1/11]-[as of 1/20/12 - ALL CLEAR!]
| | | | Joined: May 2011 Posts: 287 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: May 2011 Posts: 287 | Hi Hank, you'll start feeling better hopefully within a month but it does takes a while to be back to near-normal. Be patient and go slow and steady!
All the best. Father; 67 yrs; RIP: 2012/05/26
TX:SCC pT2N1M0G2;Glossectomy+SND+CCRT(59.3Gy+6xCis.)[2009] TX:Nodal Mets; 3xDCF[2011/05/05] TX: RND + PMMC Flap[2011/07/11] DX:SCC PNI+ECE TX:Re-RT 60Gy[2011/09/21] TX:Gefitinib 250mg[2011/12/18]
| | | | Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 267 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 267 | My doc told me that when you have swelling, thicker liquids are easier to get down than thin ones. Hope your swelling goes down soon.
Tracy - 33 at diagnosis SCC right ventral tongue Dx 4/11. T1N2M0 1st resection 5/11. Bilateral neck dissection: 2 pos nodes 2nd resection w/graft 6/11. Erbitux x 11 completed 9/11. IMRT x 30 completed 8/11. 3 month MRI and PET/CT all clear. 6, 9, 12 and 24 month post treatment MRIs all clear. | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 147 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 147 | Hank have you tried Keifer? It is like liquid yogurt. Eddie drinks it. It is filling tastes good and has probiotics for your digestive tract. Oh and it comes plain or fruit flavored.
caregiver for husband diagnosed with oral cancer May 2011 after 6 mo node lft side and several in jaw involved Base of Tongue Stage IVA 7 weeks radiation Cisplatin-3 chemos (beginning,middle,end) IntraV administration
| | | | 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 | There - I think I said this before - Luke warm water is probably the best bet for thin liquids, flat warm club soda ( same as baking soda and water mixture but you can drink it so it helps your throat! Best thing to do for the next two weeks... Pain med... Wait for it to kick in, magic mouthwash, then chug your drink, ensure etc...
That worked for me for about a week. This was the only time I needed pain meds. But if you minimize the pain you can maintain the swallow. My throat was swollen for a long time.
And I hear you on the mucous. It's almost like post nasal drip, and it would hit my throat and burn like battery acid... NOT FUN. But it does get better! Hugs and heal well!
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: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 | Well I figured out that a little MM oil is good for drying out some mucous. Cottenmouth.. I am not gagging nearly as much and that battery acid post nasal thing eased up some. Also made me hungry.
Dx: 3/11 Stage III glottic laryngeal SCC HPV 16+ Tx Start: 7/18/11 chemoradiation 7wks - Tomotherapy IMRT x 34 / Cisplatin x 7 Tx End:9/1/11]-[as of 1/20/12 - ALL CLEAR!]
| | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 Senior Member (100+ posts) | OP Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 131 | Ok so this is the first monday without the chemo and pre-drugs I always get and I feel like I have been hit by a bus. Muscle aches are off the charts, my knee feels like its been hit with a ball bat.
Anyone have similar during this week coming off of chemo and stuff?
Dx: 3/11 Stage III glottic laryngeal SCC HPV 16+ Tx Start: 7/18/11 chemoradiation 7wks - Tomotherapy IMRT x 34 / Cisplatin x 7 Tx End:9/1/11]-[as of 1/20/12 - ALL CLEAR!]
| | | | 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 | It is completely normal to feel like you have been hit by a train after you finish chemo and rads. I hope you get your rest. In another week or 2 you will begin to feel like yourself again.
I am concerned about your throat being swollen. This is something to pay attention to, if it gets worse call the doctor. Doesnt matter when, someone is always on call.
Drink tiny sips of room temperature water. No matter how much it burns and hurt, do NOT skip a day without swallowing. I think some cold meds would help you with the post nasal drip. The drip is what is irritating your throat. Not drinking makes it worse. Try taking some cold meds. Benedryl works the best but may make you feel even more tired. The nice thing about Benedryl is that it is good for swelling too.
Congrats on finishing your treatments, hope your recovery gets easier soon.
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 | | |
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