Thanks for the reassurance Brian. Helps to hear. Anti-inflammatory meds seems to help. I'm gonna see if my MO will put me on a steroid for a few weeks or something maybe get a peg. The swelling has me not able to eat. I was doing relatively ok with lots of chicken and noodle soup until this week and now I can barely get anything down, even water. And I am staying dehydrated because of it. I go Monday morning.

Hank, becoming dehydrated will make you feel terrible. Its also a dangerous situation, especially when you are trying to recover. Ive gone thru dehydration a few times and got stuck being hospitalized for it. Dont forget you can always hit up the ER to get hydrated if you feel you cant wait til Monday. Your doc may suggest a quick nasal tube, that would be done right away and is more of a temporary feeding tube than the PEG which must be surgically inserted. Dont let yourself get so run down that it becomes an emergency situation. The first 2-3 weeks after rads is the hardest time period. Some people get a suction machine to help get the thick mucous out of their mouth and throat.

Please take care and dont let this get worse.

yea I know it's not good. I don't think I can tolerate a nasal tube right now either because of the gagging. Not sure what else to do really but try and get through the weekend as best I can. I am working my way through a bottle of ensure right now and its taking me like 2 hours to get through it. I can only swallow a small amount at a time and it hurts like hell to do that much. Solid foods are out of the question at this point. It's been a week and two days since my last rad, I'm hoping this starts to ease up this week but I am feeling really weak and tired so I know something needs to be done sooner rather than later if this is going to continue for a few more weeks.

Try to count how much you are taking in and if you know for several days its well below what it should be then a trip to the ER may be in order. The ER can give you an IV and do hydration that way. I ended up having this done over the summer after being sick off and on for weeks. Go prepared, if you have a kindle bring it or take a book.

A little IV hydration might not be a bad plan.

Do you have the BMX stuff to help you? My husband couldn't drink water without it in the first couple of weeks after rads. He would gargle with in, and then swallow slowly, and then do his nutrition immediately. He would stand to drink it - he found it easier to get down. Actually, he would stand by the sink so if he started coughing it would be lest of a mess.

He found my home made shakes easier to get down than either water or ensure. Since hydration is an issue, you make give it a try - one pack of Carnation Breakfast Essentials BLENDED with 2 cups whole milk. We alternated soy and cow's milk on general principle. Its more volume than an enure, but you need the water.

My husband noted an improvement in swallowing at about day 12. It was the worst for him at about days 5-9. Good luck!

I don't have anything to help me. The Doctors have not been very good about caring for my side affects this week. I went to the ER for a fever/infection issue Thursday and got a bag of fluids and some antibiotics. Trying to get down a can of chicken broth now. On top of the swallowing, it feels like some keeps going down my wind pipe which makes me cough. ugh this is horrible...

getting to the point where I cant get up and go to the kitchen with being totally out breath and dizzy. having a hard time holding my head up even.

I hope you have someone who is there with you to make sure you don't take a bad fall. Please take it easy and don't push yourself too hard. It's good you are trying to get liquids down.

I know it has got to be getting you down. But, soon you'll be feeling better...a few more days and things should start to improve. Hang in there. Try to rest as much as possible and get as much nutrition as you can tolerate.

I hope you feel well soon!

going back to the ER... now i can barely breath going from one room to the next

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. Do you have someone looking after you? Hope they get you fixed up at the ER.

back from ER. Feeling much better. Gave me a heavy IV dose of decadron which is steroid I had been on during treatment for nausea and swelling but for some reason the stupid doctors didn't foresee that I would need it the most during the peak week. and whats worse is that they all started passing the buck and pushing me off.... idk it upsets me that they all kind of just dropped me once my Tx was done. The ER doctor was on the ball though, looked at my prescription history, looked at my situation and asked exactly the right question.... are you still taking your decadron. If not, why not. And he seemed a little miffed that my cancer Doctors didn't make sure I was scripted for it through the 3-4 weeks after TX. I said "you'd think after treating a million cancer patients they would be ready for this ahead of time" He said "You'd think. But don't worry I'm getting your decadron right now." Just a great ER doctor. Really great.