Steve, you're a hero. By about week three, maybe even earlier, I was so knocked out I could barely make it to treatment every day. Forget about eating solid food. And you've even gained weight!

Keep up the good work!

Steve,
You have the right attitude to get through this and I commend you for for your approach of staying with your normal activities. Keep it up, week by week. We all have different experiences with the rads, but most experience some fatigue around the 50% mark. In my case, I kept up good activity until I hit the wall, and did my best to fight through albeit at a reduced level of activity. You are doing great, so stay strong, stay with your program and keep that positive attitude, day by day and week by week.

Bob

Eric - Thanks for the advice, I am drinking over 80 oz as per my Nutritionist. Of that number, about 50% of that is Gatorade (low sugar version)

I will step it up to over 100 oz.

Just finished my 10th treatment today, I am scheduled for a total of 33.

Food is starting to taste like shit, had a large grilled fish burrito tonight and it tasted kind of funky.

Mouth is getting dry at night. I need to buy a misster as I have heard good things about using one. Should I use plain water or would you recommend another concoction?

Best - Steve

Steve, I hear you about the taste of food. After a few weeks even water tasted metallic to me. Not that I was eating anything solid at that point anyway.

But the taste will eventually return. Might take some time and it's different for all of us.

As to the mister... why not? I've used one on and off and I don't seem to notice a difference. But of course you've got much higher humidity back in my hometown of Miami than we do in dry old LA.

I'd go with water. Unless someone else has a better idea.

Hang in there, buddy!

Steve

You young guys! Way to go. I agree with Eric (no surprise there) about headaches & dehydration mostly because I never had a headache from radiation or chemo.
I had a whole house humidifier which really helped the first time around plus when I could not work out anymore, I still went to the gym just for the steam room. But since mucositis is not too much mucous (which I thought it meant until I joined OCF) but mouth sores from radiation, I used seltzer water. It fizzed and burned a little but not only cleared up my mouth sores but also did help dislodge mucous.
You are doing great . But there is no shame in just letting this TX wash over you in the later stages. Not that it will happen to you, but I thought I was "tough" until my face fell off.
Keep the Faith
Charm

Probably by now you are not going to the gym. Most of us got so weak and/or fatigued we had to plan our day around the best time to sit in the shower. Calories become precious commodities as treatment progresses. You will need them for basic life support.

It's a bummer having to start over at the gym after an extended time off but it is what it is.

I would also have concerns about infections you could acquire in gyms (or any other public places for that matter) with a crashed immune system.

I am down to my last radiation session on Monday. I stopped going to the gym a week ago as I was feeling a bit run down and did not want to push things. I lost about ten pounds and feel that I am very fortunate that I have not had to take any painkillers. Though I have been taking Tylenol PM to help be sleep better at night. The throat is a bit sore, but I guess that is expected at this stage. I can eat most non-spicy/acidic soup and have oatmeal with bananas for breakfast.

I supplement that with Chocolate protein shakes two to three times per day. Recipe is as follows:

Chocolate Why Protein - 1 scoop
Glutamine - 2 tbs
One raw egg
either Swiss Chard or kale
raw almond butter - 2 tbs
Chocolate Hemp Milk
4-5 Ice cubes
Mix it up very well in a blender.

Radiologist says that I can expect to go hard in the gym in aprox 3 weeks. I will give you all an update in a week to let you know how I am feeling

I was 5 years older than you and in very good health going into it. It was a full year before I was back to 80% of what I could accomplish pre Tx. Everyone has different experiences with their response to treatment. Some have even driven themselves to all of their RT treatments and went back to work several weeks, post Tx, but they are certainly the minority. I'm not trying to be a downer here - just tell you that the post Tx phase is very unpredictable. The majority of us continued with radiation reaction issues up to 3 weeks post Tx so I am curious why your doc feels you will be back in the gym in 3 weeks.

I have always felt one has to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Take it one day at a time.

I drove until about the last 2 weeks and finally I admitted that I was not only a danger to myself but to the rest of the drivers. I also had a horrible experience my first 2 weeks post Tx, hospitalized, etc and finally walked out of that tunnel in the 3rd week. I was still weak (mentally and physically) as a kitten for a good 3 to 4 months post Tx but by spring, which was after my tax season, I was mentally ready to take on Lance. With my renewed desire to prove to myself I was not going to let this affect me and with my new lighter frame I quickly rose to my pre Tx riding ability and for a time was a better rider. Each of us can respond differently.

Laz, i too was in pretty good share, knocking down an ironman a year. My treatment devistated me. I was done about 26 montha ago and it took a good 6 months before I could run or ride well, swimming was a bit eaiser. I did lose alot of muscle so it is frustrating comming back. I am weaker than I was before, but still have the desire to work out. You got plenty of advise in the previous posts but here is one more. We all lose some of our salivia during radiation. it takes a while to come back. I bought a camelback still run and ride with it!
It is a loooong road back but just keep moving forward! You will make it back

Steve